Danish Company Says Its Software Will Block 3D-Printing of Guns

Unless somebody hacks or patches it, of course

A Danish company that sells 3D printer component parts and related software to 3D printer manufacturers now says it has come up with a firearm component detection algorithm.

On Tuesday, Create it Real announced that in the coming months its software would include an option to find and block gun parts. When it detects a file that contains firearm parts, the software will shut down and disallow printing. Create it Real's software will likely be licensed to 3D printer manufacturers for around "several thousand euros annually" and then bundled with a 3D printer sold to individual consumers.

This innovation is squarely aimed at efforts from Defense Distributed, the group based in Texas that has done more to advance 3D printed firearm research than any other organization worldwide. In the last several months, DefDist has made and demonstrated an AR-15 lower receiver and an entire handgun. As a result, a number of American legislators started drafting new possible regulations in the face of rapidly declining 3D printer prices.