17 Dec
2003
17 Dec
'03
11:17 p.m.
Bill Stewart wrote:
Not per se, though there _is_ still one major restriction - the Defense Department gets a crack at patent applications, so if you try to patent a crypto algorithm or crypto phone, they can seize and classify your patent application and working materials, using the excuse of "national security". There was a case in the late 70s where somebody tried to patent a wimpy analog scrambler for CB radios, and got it seized, and a number of patent applications that got delayed a long time.
It seems then to be advisable to apply for international patents simultaneously. One can e.g. apply for a European patent that is valid for a number of countries. M. K. Shen