I’m an engineer and a technical author, and though I usually write about software, I’ve become fascinated with rail guns, which use electromagnetism to shoot metal. There are DIY sites on the web, but there are no books that explain the theory and construction of these important devices.
I’d like to write the first book on the subject, but I’m concerned about legal issues. Some precocious high school student could use my book to build a rail gun for a science fair and then cause harm by accident. As the author, am I culpable?
I know better than to expect reliable legal advice from the web, and I know that the law concerning firearms changes from state to state. But is there a better resource I can access for this question? I really want to write this book.
This strikes me as something for which you really do need to consult a real lawyer, with experience in the appropriate fields of law in your jurisdiction. But presumably if you find a publisher for such a book they would have their own lawyers who could pronounce on the matter?
ETA: though, it seems to me that if The Anarchists Cookbook was published without legal ramifications, an engineering treatise on railguns should be alright. But I am emphatically not a lawyer.
I recall the insurance company of the publisher of the book “Hit Man” paying a settlement to the family of a someone who was murdered by a man who used the techniques in the book. So even though there may not be any criminal penalties, there certainly could be civil ones. The publisher protested their insurance company paying as they felt they could have won the law suite.
While I’ve seen demonstrations of railguns on YouTube, it was my understanding that they were still at most R&D projects for the military and just getting one to work once was already a big enough hassle, let alone being able to make one in your back yard for less than a few million dollars?
One of the great things about it is that it provides a practical understanding of EM theory. I spent my college years working out the equations, but I never had anything like this.
Oh you’re correct to be concerned, but this is how you do it. You write the book. Write it exactly as you think it should be.
Then shop it around to publishers. Once you do this, they will let you know what’s wrong with the book and how to edit it. That is if they are interested.
It doesn’t matter what legally the issue is, because if the book was a hit, someone will use the idea and you will get sued. Remember anyone can sue anyone, that doesnt mean you will win, but it does mean you have to defend yourself.
Most suits are settled out of court, as they are cheaper than the cost of defending them, even if they win.
If it was me, my main concern would be ensuring that the information in your book is accurate, and describes the “best practice” for building railguns safely and the risks involved.
Unless the ruling is made by an idiot, I’d think you’re only in danger of being successfully sued if a railgun made using your book as reference malfunctions, not just because you made the publically available knowledge of how to build a mass driver more publically available.