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A comment on Tongan Shell Game: How Apple and Google File Trademarks in Secret. Parent comment

Re:Tongan Shell Game: How Apple and Google File Trademarks i... by jerf on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @05:31PM (#10299806)
Copyright already de facto works that way; you get copyright the moment it is fixed in the relevant medium, there is no publication or public release requirement. Patents have their own complicated things, but part of the definition of a patent is that it is for public release, so "secret patent" is theoretically a contradiction. (As my phrasing suggests I have little long-term confidence in our systems maintaining that truth, but I believe it is true right now.)
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Re:Tongan Shell Game: How Apple and Google File Trademarks i... by greensoap on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @05:54PM (#10300022)
There are secret patents in the realm of national defense (think nuclear). The patent doesn't issue until the secrecy order is rescinded and the term begins once issued; IIRC.
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Re:Tongan Shell Game: How Apple and Google File Trademarks i... by hkmurakami on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @06:58PM (#10300424)
> "secret patent" is theoretically a contradiction

There are "submarine patent" strategies though, which seek to postpone revelation of a patent for as long as possible.

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Re:Tongan Shell Game: How Apple and Google File Trademarks i... by monochromatic on Tuesday September 29, 2015 @10:23PM (#10301346)
Less of a problem these days though, since patent term is now measured from priority date (whereas it used to be measured from issue date).
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