In the U.S, three states have recently proposed that commercial 3D-printer manufacturers must ensure…
SztupY [Unofficial]
April 2, 2026
Print Blocking is Anti-Consumer - Permission to Print Part 1
Print Blocking Won’t Work - Permission to Print Part 2
> In the U.S, three states have recently proposed that commercial 3D-printer manufacturers must ensure their printers only work with their software, and are responsible for checking each print for forbidden shapes—for now, any shape vendors consider too gun-like. The 2D equivalent of these “print-blocking” algorithms would be demanding HP prevent you from printing any harmful messages or recipes. Worse still, some bills can introduce criminal penalties for anyone who bypasses this censorware, or for anyone simply reselling their old printer without these restrictions.
> If this sounds like Digital Rights Management (DRM) to you, you’ve been paying attention. This is exactly the sort of regulation that creates a headache and privacy risk for law-abiding users, is a gift for would-be monopolists, and can be totally bypassed by the lawbreakers actually being targeted by the proposals.
Discussion in the ATmosphere