The owner of a firm making untraceable 3D-printed guns says he has sold hundreds of blueprints, despite a court order banning him from posting the plans online.

Cody Wilson said he started selling the plans on Tuesday morning and had already received nearly 400 orders by lunchtime.

The Texan said he will sell the plans for as little as a penny to anybody in the US who wants them.

Less than 24 hours earlier, he was banned from posting the blueprints online over fears they could get into the wrong hands.

"Anyone who wants to get these files is going to get them," Mr Wilson said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"They can name their own price."

Image: Cody Wilson said he will sell his 3D gun blueprints for as little as a penny

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia sought an injunction to stop a settlement the State Department reached with his Austin-based company, Defense Distributed.

The department removed the 3D gun-making plans from a list of weapons or technical data which are not allowed to be exported.

But the states argued online access to the undetectable plastic guns posed a security risk and could be bought by criminals and terrorists.

Their lawyer said if anybody is harmed with a gun made from the plans, Donald Trump will be responsible.

3D printed gun being held. 1:01
Video: How dangerous are 3D printed plastic guns?

Mr Wilson said he could only sell to people in the US online, but hard copies of the blueprints can be shipped to buyers overseas.

Some of his first sales were purchased with cryptocurrency, he said.

On Monday, US district judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle blocked Defense Distributed from posting the blueprints online – but did not say whether they could be sold.

He said: "It is the untraceable and undetectable nature of these small firearms that poses a unique danger."

Washington attorney general Bob Ferguson, whose office oversaw the federal lawsuit, said Judge Lasnik's ruling made Mr Wilson's latest actions illegal.

3D printers can create many items, including new limbs
Image: 3D printers can create many items, including new limbs

"Because of our lawsuit, it is once again illegal to post downloadable gun files to the internet," he said.

"I trust the federal government will hold Cody Wilson, a self-described 'crypto-anarchist,' accountable to that law.

"If they don't, President Trump will be responsible for anyone who is hurt or killed as a result of these weapons."

Mr Wilson said he is raising money for his legal defence and will continue to challenge Monday's court order.

More from United States

He said: "For many years I chose not to sell these files. I was an open source advocate.

"I don't expect to make money on it."

Original Article

[contf] [contfnew]

Sky News

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]