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From: emks@uokvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Re: Protection of ideas? - (nf)
Message-ID: <10400003@uokvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Aug-84 10:34:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uokvax.10400003
Posted: Thu Aug 30 10:34:00 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 3-Sep-84 10:30:39 EDT
References: <482@ames.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:ames:-48200:uokvax:10400003:000:981
Nf-From: uokvax!emks    Aug 30 09:34:00 1984

#R:ames:-48200:uokvax:10400003:000:981
uokvax!emks    Aug 30 09:34:00 1984

Is there anything similar to the little-known (but oft-used) Patent Secrecy
Act which would deal with Copr material?

If you're not familiar with it, the Patent Secrecy Act allows the U.S. to
protect the national security by reviewing patents to see if they contain
any defense classified information.  If they do, the patent process is
completed, but the patent requester receives a note in the mail marked
"SECRECY ORDER" which admonishes him to not reveal the patented material
to anyone to whom it was not known before he received the notice.

In the vast majority of cases, secrecy orders are slapped on projects which
expected the order anyway; e.g.: a government contractor submitting a
classified project for patent.  There are some Joe Citizens who have an order
put on their "time machine" or other project unexpectedly.  Surprise!

It is *possible* that the Patent Secrecy Act has to do with Copyrights, too,
but I'm too lazy to dig it up.

		kurt
   ctvax!uokvax!emks