Posted by Lurker (66.222.50.46) on May 23, 2003 at 14:50:53:
In Reply to: Re: Message for J.C. posted by John Collins on May 23, 2003 at 14:12:15:
: Also here in the UK, the patent office has a permanent staff working for the government security who check each every patent for any potential national security risks and if they find something then they bury it and demand silence about it. Clearly every country runs something similar. You may ask what risk could a gravity wheel hold? I don't know for sure but it seems to me that if something might have a detrimental effect on the tax revenue from fuel then that might be regarded as a potential security risk and require some kind of restriction?
: As for my patent application - I cancelled it.
: John Collins
It's the same in the USA. Anything that is considered a threat to national security is quickly buried, and rarely sees the light of day after that. You must also consider who controls the government. Even in democratic countries, Wealthy individuals and corporations wield a disproportionate amount of power due to the large amount of influence bestowed upon them by their money. Wealthy individuals and companies keep a very close watch on patents just like the government. If they wish to bury something, they certainly have the means to do so.
Lurker