Re:The End of AI Frontiers
by Loquebantur on Saturday November 07, 2026 @09:15PM
(#50409901)
Suppressed inventions aren't "very rare" per se. You simply don't hear about those that aren't being rescinded while the inventor is still alive.
According to official data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), there were 6,653 active secrecy orders in effect at the end of fiscal year 2026. Roughly 100 to 350 new secrecy orders are added every year. Many remain locked away for decades or more.
If the U.S. government puts a secrecy order on a patent application against the inventor's will, they are legally forbidden from talking about it. The inventor cannot talk about how it works, publish research on it, sell it, or market it. They cannot even discuss the exact classified details with a regular lawyer unless that attorney has the proper security clearance.
According to official data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), there were 6,653 active secrecy orders in effect at the end of fiscal year 2026. Roughly 100 to 350 new secrecy orders are added every year. Many remain locked away for decades or more.
If the U.S. government puts a secrecy order on a patent application against the inventor's will, they are legally forbidden from talking about it. The inventor cannot talk about how it works, publish research on it, sell it, or market it. They cannot even discuss the exact classified details with a regular lawyer unless that attorney has the proper security clearance.