The Federation of American Scientists has a Project on Government Secrecy and as a part of that they also include a section on their website about Invention Secrecy:jim_mich wrote:There is always the possibility of a secrecy order being placed on the patent application, which is simply the government deciding that they will steal your idea and give you nothing in return, claiming it is for national security. Then you are out of options. It is better to at least place the concept out in the open before the powers-that-be declare it a secret. If a patent issues then fine. If a secrecy order is issued, then the world will still know how it works, and the secrecy gag order will have no effect. Thus the initial patent application MUST be very well written such that almost no changes need to be made in order for it to issue. Energy related patents can be accelerated to issue sooner. One must have all his ducks lined up in a row before hand. Of course the patent office will demand to see a working model. By that time there should already be many working models and replication by others proving that it works and preventing any secrecy gag orders.
The goal is to control the situation enough so that others never control you or the wheel. Only when you fully own it can you freely give it away, if that be your desire.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/invention/
Amongst some of the interesting information there, I found the following - which would seem to indicate that Congress may now be thinking about the issuing of secrecy orders on "Economically Significant Patents" for being "detrimental" to the United States' "economic security"! ...as well as perhaps making changes to procedures regarding patents related to "national security".
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2012/04/pto-fr.htmlNotice of Request for Comments on the Feasibility of Placing
Economically Significant Patents Under a Secrecy Order and the Need To
Review Criteria Used in Determining Secrecy Orders Related to National
Security
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to a request from Congress, the United States Patent
and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking comments as to whether the
United States should identify and bar from
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publication and issuance certain patent applications as detrimental to
the nation's economic security. The USPTO is also seeking comments on
the desirability of changes to the existing procedures for reviewing
applications that might be detrimental to national security.
Of course, our conspiracy theorists believe they already do that, I guess.
Dwayne