Stop Washington State's 3D Printer "Ban"
HB 2321, out of Washington state, would force "blocking software" for 3D printers and scanning of all 3D printed files - but it's actually worse than that.
I recently came across a bill from Washington state centered around 3D printing and spent some time looking into it. While not an outright ban, it does state that "blocking technology" would be required in all 3D printers sold, manufactured, or transferred within Washington.
While this doesn't affect Missouri at the moment, it doesn't take much of an imagination to see that if the bill passes in Washington, it's only a matter of time until similar bills pop up in other states, eventually pushing all 3D printer manufacturers to include some form of "blocking technology" by default.
This is entirely unacceptable and needs to be stopped before it can take root. In a nutshell, printers (or slicers) would be required to "phone home", submitting every printed file for scanning to ensure you're not printing a firearm - but this goes way beyond firearms and 3D printing.
Pertinent information from the text includes:
"Three-dimensional printer" means (a) any machine capable of rendering a three-dimensional object from a digital design file using additive manufacturing or (b) any machine capable of making three dimensional modifications to an object from a digital design file using subtractive manufacturing.
"Equipped with blocking features" means a three-dimensional printer has integrated a software controls process that deploys a firearms blueprint detection algorithm, such that those features identify and reject print requests for firearms or illegal firearm parts with a high degree of reliability and cannot be overridden or otherwise defeated by a user with significant technical skill.
An algorithm does not need to produce a perfect success rate at detecting disallowed files to effectively serve in blocking technology but must meet the technical standards for detection and flagging of disallowed files that are set forth in rules or regulations adopted by the attorney general pursuant to this chapter.
As far as implementation, it states this can be accomplished by
Firmware design. Integration of a firearms blueprint detection algorithm directly into a three-dimensional printer's firmware, such that any geometric code received by the printer must be screened by the algorithm before the printer will proceed to print, and such that the printer will reject print jobs identified by the algorithm as directing the printer to print firearms or illegal firearm parts
Integrated preprint software design. Limitation of a three dimensional printer's operation to accept geometric code for printing exclusively from a single slicer or other preprint software, which may be the manufacturer's proprietary software, and integration of a firearms blueprint detection algorithm into that preprint software, such that any stereolithography file or other computer-aided design file must be screened by the algorithm before the software will proceed to produce geometric code, and such that the software will not produce geometric code for files that are identified by the algorithm as directing the printer to print firearms or illegal firearm parts
Handshake authentication design. Limitation of a three dimensional printer's operation to accept geometric code for printing only from specified slicers or other preprint software, wherein the printer will require a digital watermark or other authentication tool verifying the identity of the preprint software, and only if that preprint software has integrated a firearms blueprint detection algorithm qualified by the attorney general under subsection (4) of this section
There's a link to the bill below, along with a video explaining it in more detail. If you live in Washington, I encourage you to contact your legislators!
