#Law

For the fourth time in recent years the US Army is considering dropping the M9 Beretta and the 9mm NATO round it chambers in favor of a pistol that shoots a larger caliber, harder hitting round. The Federal Bureau of Investigation on the other hand have just published a pre-solicitation notice for 9mm pistols. The Bureau are looking for a compact, a full size and a training/simulation semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9mm Luger/Parabellum. A full solicitation noticed is expected to during Q1 2015.

Steve Says: Many thanks to Spencer, a law student, for contributing this well researched guest post. This is a legal post, not a political post.

A AR15.com member was told that that his Form 1 (Application to Make and Register a Firearm) would take up to one year to process. 57Strat wrote …

In 2010 the BATFE arrested 21 people, including Smith & Wesson executives for beaching the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a law which prohibits US corporations, citizens and residents from bribing foreign officials. Those arrested were charged with conspiring to bribe officials in the African state of Gabon as part of a deal to sell $15 million of equipment to the 1,800 man strong Gabon Presidential (Republican) Guard.

In 2001 Glock applied to trademark their pistol design. The trademark application was approved in 2009 (Serial Number 76279422). Glock’s application states that this design was not used by anyone before 1995, so this trademark must be for the third generation Glock which went on sale in 1996.

Glock is suing Maxwell Corp, the importers of the Zoraki M917 blank firing pistol, for trade dress infringement.

I recommend anyone who carries concealed or open should watch this video. I doubt anyone knows more about the legal aspects of firearms than Massad Ayoob.

Crimson Trace has developed a laser aiming attachment for the M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW). Because the LAW launcher tube is disposable the laser module uses quick detach mount so that the operator can easily attach is before firing and remove it before disposing of the tube.

The Spearmint Rhino, the international a chain of strip clubs, is suing Chiappa Firearms over the logo used on their Chiappa Firearms Rhino revolvers. They claim that consumers could confuse the revolver with one of their strip clubs or branded g-strings, brassieres and corsets.

LWRC Interational, manufacturer of AR-15 rifles for consumers and military, are suing SIG Sauer. LWRC claims SIG’s SIG516 line of piston-operated AR-15 rifles infringes upon their U.S. patent #7461581 “Self-cleaning gas operating system for a firearm”.

[ The Editor: The Firearm Blog readers are an innovative group. We regularly get email from readers asking us for give advice on how to proceed with patenting thier gun-related inventions. I am very pleased to present the first part in a series of posts that demystify the subject of patents. The posts are written by “Your Patent Friend”, a practicing patent attorney. Please note the disclaimer below. ].

James Buchanan, the owner of JB Custom, is suing Taurus for trademark infringement. Earlier this year Taurus unveiled their Rossi Ranch Hand pistol. The Ranch Hand is their take on the Mare’s Leg pistol which featured in the late 1950s show Wanted: Dead or Alive. Since 2006 Buchanan has been selling Mare’s Leg style pistols and two years ago he filed for a trademark on the name. The Journal Gazzette reports …

Unbeknown to me, Glock filed a lawsuit against Austrian Sporting Arms and ISSC Handels GmbH and have just announced that they settled the case. This lawsuit and the settlement are very much the same as the H&K vs. ATI lawsuit.

MIT students were recently honored by the Suffolk County District Attorney for their help in providing expert witness testimony in cases involving illegal gun possession. They were testifying that a discarded handgun would retain body heat for a period of time and that photographing the gun with a thermal camera could prove that the gun had been recently held.

Legal Heat is an iPhone / iPod Touch electronic version of the CCW guide Legal Heat: 50 State Guide to Firearm Laws and Regulations. At $1.99 is it a lot cheaper than the $15 paperback edition.