The One
29th June 2011, 10:15
Unfortunately for innovators and entrepreneurs who wish to bring energy-saving or energy-reducing inventions to market, the story gets worse. Inventors of new energy technologies in particular have a difficult time obtaining a patent. The USPTO is apparently fundamentally opposed to approving patents for any type of new energy technology that defies the laws of thermodynamics and thereby appears to "endanger (the) oil, coal, and gas industry." Under Section 181 in U.S. Patent Law, once a patent application is submitted, the Commissioner of the USPTO, "the Atomic Energy Commission, the Secretary of Defense, and the chief officer of any other department or agency of the Government designated by the President as a defense agency of the United States" has the power to "withhold the grant of a patent." It seems only one invention has been granted a patent that included claims of producing greater energy output than the apparent energy input. This particular U.S. patent was granted for a cold fusion process that is owned by the CETI Corporation in Texas.
In case an individual is still committed to bringing a revolutionary "green product" to the market, the U.S. government, with its bedfellow corporate America , holds one last trump card. A little-known law called the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951 enables the U.S. Patent Office to block the issuance of a patent when it believes the technology could "be detrimental to the national security." An inventor is sometimes turned down for unknown reasons but nevertheless issued a "secrecy order." If the inventor strays from secrecy, they must swear to secrecy the people they informed, or send the patent office the name, address, and other information of the people they told. There could be a variety of motives at work with this tactic, whether it be that the patent office is confiscating the idea because of its potential governmental importance, sheltering big money-making industries from potential loss, or giving corporations an additional advantage in any legal battles that might arise from competing patents.
Seemingly legitimate inventors and scientists often butt heads with the USPTO and governmental blockade. Pons and Fleischmann were the two scientists that claimed to have proven the validity of the cold fusion process. The media initially embraced their discovery, but within a matter of weeks, the duo found themselves rejected. The media's turn-about was based on reports that the scientific community was not able to duplicate their experiments. Despite the heated controversy, Toyota was very interested. They contacted the inventors and provided them with $9 million and a facility in Monaco to continue their research. They have also acquired foreign patents for their cold fusion process.
One further example concerns Joseph Newman , who invented a motor that reportedly produced a greater energy output than the apparent energy input. He attempted to patent the device, but it was rejected by the USPTO because his claims appeared to violate the laws of thermodynamics. This unsuccessful fight to obtain a patent lasted for years and cost Newman over $1 million. What's more, "Better than 30 physicists, nuclear engineers, electrical engineers and electrical technicians have signed Affidavits attesting to their belief in the validity of Newman's Motor: an electromagnetic motor/generator that could supply every American's home, farm, business, automobile and appliance with electrical power at a fraction of the present cost."
It should come as no surprise that special interests like oil companies and countries whose economies are tied to the oil industry have a vested interest in any energy technologies that would compete with fossil fuel. Currently, many foreign countries and corporations are actively engaged in industrial espionage, which creates a situation that can hamper the successful marketing of any new energy technology. In the battle between special interests and the general good of the average citizen, it appears that industry still retains the upper hand. The underlying fact is that our current technology, or lack thereof, reflects our global consciousness. Technology and consciousness evolve together, and as long as the more powerful and dominant forces in government and corporations continue to focus on money rather than higher goals for successful sustainable survival, our lack of foresight can only hurt us.
So there we have it.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.altenergy.org%2Ftransition%2Fobstacles.html&ei=V_kKTpiHNc3WsgaUgYHbDg&usg=AFQjCNHo-ePox6iKUBFdkXRnLPB5SOs9HQ
In case an individual is still committed to bringing a revolutionary "green product" to the market, the U.S. government, with its bedfellow corporate America , holds one last trump card. A little-known law called the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951 enables the U.S. Patent Office to block the issuance of a patent when it believes the technology could "be detrimental to the national security." An inventor is sometimes turned down for unknown reasons but nevertheless issued a "secrecy order." If the inventor strays from secrecy, they must swear to secrecy the people they informed, or send the patent office the name, address, and other information of the people they told. There could be a variety of motives at work with this tactic, whether it be that the patent office is confiscating the idea because of its potential governmental importance, sheltering big money-making industries from potential loss, or giving corporations an additional advantage in any legal battles that might arise from competing patents.
Seemingly legitimate inventors and scientists often butt heads with the USPTO and governmental blockade. Pons and Fleischmann were the two scientists that claimed to have proven the validity of the cold fusion process. The media initially embraced their discovery, but within a matter of weeks, the duo found themselves rejected. The media's turn-about was based on reports that the scientific community was not able to duplicate their experiments. Despite the heated controversy, Toyota was very interested. They contacted the inventors and provided them with $9 million and a facility in Monaco to continue their research. They have also acquired foreign patents for their cold fusion process.
One further example concerns Joseph Newman , who invented a motor that reportedly produced a greater energy output than the apparent energy input. He attempted to patent the device, but it was rejected by the USPTO because his claims appeared to violate the laws of thermodynamics. This unsuccessful fight to obtain a patent lasted for years and cost Newman over $1 million. What's more, "Better than 30 physicists, nuclear engineers, electrical engineers and electrical technicians have signed Affidavits attesting to their belief in the validity of Newman's Motor: an electromagnetic motor/generator that could supply every American's home, farm, business, automobile and appliance with electrical power at a fraction of the present cost."
It should come as no surprise that special interests like oil companies and countries whose economies are tied to the oil industry have a vested interest in any energy technologies that would compete with fossil fuel. Currently, many foreign countries and corporations are actively engaged in industrial espionage, which creates a situation that can hamper the successful marketing of any new energy technology. In the battle between special interests and the general good of the average citizen, it appears that industry still retains the upper hand. The underlying fact is that our current technology, or lack thereof, reflects our global consciousness. Technology and consciousness evolve together, and as long as the more powerful and dominant forces in government and corporations continue to focus on money rather than higher goals for successful sustainable survival, our lack of foresight can only hurt us.
So there we have it.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.altenergy.org%2Ftransition%2Fobstacles.html&ei=V_kKTpiHNc3WsgaUgYHbDg&usg=AFQjCNHo-ePox6iKUBFdkXRnLPB5SOs9HQ