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Patents-Procedure-Applicability Of Invention Secrecy Act Where Government Use Of Invention Is Authorized, Thomas G. Dignan Jr.

Michigan Law Review

After extended negotiations, plaintiff entered into a contract with the United States for the development of a new model "hemisphere sight," a mock-up of which plaintiff had previously revealed to the Air Force. Acting upon a request by the Air Force, the Commissioner of Patents issued a secrecy order on the gun sight pursuant to provisions of the Invention Secrecy Act, thus preventing the issuance of a patent to the plaintiff. In order for the United States to have a second source of supply for the sights, the plaintiff revealed its engineering information to another manufacturer upon governmental request to …