The race to get 3D gun blueprints online just hit a snag

New Jersey just secured a nationwide victory in the fight against 3D-printed guns.

On Tuesday, self-described “crypto-anarchist” Cody Wilson agreed to halt uploading any new blueprints for printing 3D guns to his website until September while a lawsuit filed by New Jersey’s Attorney General Gurbir Grewal works its way through the courts, according to a court order.

As part of the suit, New Jersey Judge Walter Koprowski Jr., issued an order that if Wilson uploads any blueprints between now and September, New Jersey residents will be blocked from accessing his website.

Wilson had set Aug. 1 as the start of his uploads as a marketing ploy, but facing mounting legal challenges, he started early. He’s already uploaded blueprints for at least 10 different guns, including an AR-15, that have been downloaded more than 25,000 times. Those will remain online for the duration of the lawsuit.

Ever since Grewal wrote a “cease and desist” letter to Wilson threatening to take legal action if he made his blueprints for 3D-printed guns available to New Jersey residents, the legal fight between the two has escalated quickly.

Soon after the letter, Wilson’s company, Defense Distributed — with the backing of gun rights advocacy group First Amendment Foundation — filed suit against Grewal and accused him of waging “an ideologically-fueled program of intimidation and harassment.”

Grewal proceeded with legal action regardless.

“Terrorists. Felons. Fugitives. They can’t buy guns. But they can buy 3D printers,” Grewal wrote in a statement announcing the lawsuit Monday. “The company cannot be allowed to publish its printable gun files online."

But Wilson is trying to look on the bright side and noted on Twitter that Grewal originally sought to takedown his website entirely.

“NJ AG tried to issue a nationwide takedown of htp://DEFCAD.com today,” Wilson tweeted. “His motion was denied.”

And Wilson may need to stay positive. At least nine attorneys general have entered into a multi-state lawsuit against the State Department in attempt to force the Trump administration reverse course on its settlement with Wilson. The decision cleared the way for him to resume publishing 3D-printed gun blueprints on his website after a years-long legal battle.

Also on Tuesday, a group of Democratic Senators, led by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, announced a bill that would make publishing 3D-printed gun blueprints illegal. “These 3D-printed plastic firearms can evade our detection systems and are a direct threat to our national security,” Nelson told reporters.

Even President Donald Trump, who tends to side with guns in gun-related matters, seemed perplexed by notion of printing firearms.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. "Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!"

Cover image: In this May 10, 2013 photo, Cody Wilson holds what he calls a Liberator pistol that was completely made on a 3-D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Austin American Statesman, Jay Janner)