§ 13 — Unauthorised possession of digital blueprints for manufacture of guns, etc.

13.—(1) A person commits an offence if —(a)

the person possesses a digital blueprint for the manufacture of a gun or a major part of a gun on a 3D printer or on an electronic milling machine; and

(b)

the person is not one of the following:(i)

a person granted a licence to manufacture the gun or major part of a gun using a 3D printer or on an electronic milling machine;

(ii)

a person exempt from this section under section 87, 88 or 89 in relation to that manufacture of the gun or major part of a gun.

(2) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1), it is a defence for the accused to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that —(a)

the accused did not know, and could not reasonably be expected to have known, that the accused possessed the digital blueprint concerned;

(b)

the digital blueprint concerned came into the accused’s possession unsolicited and the accused, as soon as the accused became aware of its nature, took reasonable steps to destroy or otherwise surrender it to a police officer or a person designated by a Licensing Officer for the purpose of this paragraph; or

(c)

the conduct engaged in by the accused —(i)

was necessary for or of assistance in conducting scientific, medical, educational, military or law enforcement research that has been specially approved by the Minister in writing for the purposes of this section; and

(ii)

did not breach the conditions of that approval.

(3) In this section —“digital blueprint” means any type of digital (or electronic) reproduction of a technical drawing of the design of an object;

“possession”, of a digital blueprint, includes the following:(a)

possession of a computer or data storage device holding or containing the blueprint or of a document in which the blueprint is recorded;

(b)

control of the blueprint held in a computer that is in the possession of another person in Singapore (whether the computer is in or outside Singapore).

—(1) A person commits an offence if —(a)

the person possesses a digital blueprint for the manufacture of a gun or a major part of a gun on a 3D printer or on an electronic milling machine; and

(b)

the person is not one of the following:(i)

a person granted a licence to manufacture the gun or major part of a gun using a 3D printer or on an electronic milling machine;

(ii)

a person exempt from this section under section 87, 88 or 89 in relation to that manufacture of the gun or major part of a gun.

(2) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1), it is a defence for the accused to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that —(a)

the accused did not know, and could not reasonably be expected to have known, that the accused possessed the digital blueprint concerned;

(b)

the digital blueprint concerned came into the accused’s possession unsolicited and the accused, as soon as the accused became aware of its nature, took reasonable steps to destroy or otherwise surrender it to a police officer or a person designated by a Licensing Officer for the purpose of this paragraph; or

(c)

the conduct engaged in by the accused —(i)

was necessary for or of assistance in conducting scientific, medical, educational, military or law enforcement research that has been specially approved by the Minister in writing for the purposes of this section; and

(ii)

did not breach the conditions of that approval.

(3) In this section —“digital blueprint” means any type of digital (or electronic) reproduction of a technical drawing of the design of an object;

“possession”, of a digital blueprint, includes the following:(a)

possession of a computer or data storage device holding or containing the blueprint or of a document in which the blueprint is recorded;

(b)

control of the blueprint held in a computer that is in the possession of another person in Singapore (whether the computer is in or outside Singapore).