patent-secrecy-orders

PROGRAM dossier

Patent Secrecy Orders

PROGRAM Patents Also: patent secrecy orders, Invention Secrecy Act, USPTO secrecy

01 Executive_Summary

USPTO Invention Secrecy Act statistics show a MASSIVE SPIKE in classified patent secrecy orders in FY2024. Total secrecy orders in effect: FY21=5,976, FY22=6,057, FY23=6,155, FY24=6,471, FY25=6,543. New secrecy orders by sponsoring agency (FY23): Navy 55 (44%), Air Force 43 (34.4%), Army 17 (13.6%), DOE 7 (5.6%). CRITICAL: Type 2 (classified/classifiable) secrecy orders spiked from 8 in FY23 to 94 in FY24 — an 11.75x increase. Type 2 is the most restrictive type — the invention itself is classified. This spike is consistent with a program going classified around FY2024. Navy and Air Force dominate (78% of all orders) — the same organizations that fund CFR (Air Force/Lockheed) and Pais patents (Navy). McGuire's patent filings stopped in 2019 — consistent with either genuine cancellation or a secrecy order. If a secrecy order was imposed on post-2019 applications, the patents would not appear in public records.

03 Deep_Dive_Intelligence

Overview

Entity Type: Program — Patent Secrecy Orders is a government or defense program/initiative.

Network Relationships

Patent Secrecy Orders connects to 3 entities in the intelligence network:

Assessments (1):

← McGuire 2026 Status: Patent filings stopped 2019 — secrecy order?

Events (1):

→ Skunk Works® CFR Program: Air Force sponsors 34% — CFR patents?

Persons (1):

→ Dr. Salvatore Pais: Navy sponsors 44% of secrecy orders — Pais patents?

Source Documents

Intelligence derived from 4 source documents:

FAS — Invention Secrecy Statistics (sgp.fas.org/othergov/invention/stats.html)
governmentattic.org — USPTO Statistics on Patent Secrecy Orders 2024
USPTO — MPEP Chapter 120 (Secrecy Orders)
35 USC 181 — Secrecy of certain inventions

05 Related_Entities (3)

McGuire 2026 Status

assessment ←

Patent filings stopped 2019 — secrecy order?

Dr. Salvatore Pais

person →

Navy sponsors 44% of secrecy orders — Pais patents?

Skunk Works® CFR Program

event →

Air Force sponsors 34% — CFR patents?

05b Related_Topics (2)

Compact Fusion Reactor

usa → china → israel →

Patent Analysis

usa →

07 Key_Findings

▸ Entity Type: Program — Patent Secrecy Orders is a government or defense program/initiative.
▸ ← McGuire 2026 Status: Patent filings stopped 2019 — secrecy order?
▸ → Skunk Works® CFR Program: Air Force sponsors 34% — CFR patents?
▸ → Dr. Salvatore Pais: Navy sponsors 44% of secrecy orders — Pais patents?
▸ FAS — Invention Secrecy Statistics (sgp.fas.org/othergov/invention/stats.html)

09 Timeline_Mentions (3)

2018

Firmage Network Project 'Ceased to Exist' — Informal Cut-Out Terminated

Around 2018, the Firmage network project 'ceased to exist.' All 12+ Firmage LLCs began expiring. The informal SAP was terminated after the December 2017 NYT exposure triggered a DoD security review. T

program

2021-10-21

ARPA-E Holds Official LENR Workshop

The ARPA-E LENR Workshop (October 21-22, 2021) represents government acknowledgment that LENR is a legitimate research area. Brillouin's technology was presented by Francis Tanzella (SRI). Combined wi

program

2024

FY2024 Patent Secrecy Orders Spike 11.75x

FY2024 Type 2 patent secrecy orders spiked 11.75x (8→94). Navy and Air Force dominance corresponds to the same organizations pursuing Pais patents and FPT SBIR. The Invention Secrecy Act can suppress

program

View Full Timeline → View on Network Graph →

10 FAQ

What is Patent Secrecy Orders? ▾

What role does Patent Secrecy Orders play in the research network? ▾

Patent Secrecy Orders is classified under the "Patents" category. USPTO Invention Secrecy Act statistics show a MASSIVE SPIKE in classified patent secrecy orders in FY2024. Total secrecy orders in effect: FY21=5,976, FY22=6,057, FY23=6,155, FY24=6,471,...

What evidence supports the Patent Secrecy Orders assessment? ▾

The intelligence assessment for Patent Secrecy Orders is supported by 3 primary sources, 1 PDF document, and 1 citation. Key sources include "Invention Secrecy Statistics — Federation of American Scientists", "USPTO Patent Secrecy Order Statistics (FOIA Release, 2024)", and "Invention Secrecy Act — Federation of American Scientists Resource Page". These documents provide the evidentiary basis for the analysis.

How does Patent Secrecy Orders connect to other entities in the network? ▾

Patent Secrecy Orders is connected to 3 entities in the intelligence network, including McGuire 2026 Status (assessment), Dr. Salvatore Pais (person), and Skunk Works® CFR Program (event). Key relationships: McGuire 2026 Status: Patent filings stopped 2019 — secrecy order?, Dr. Salvatore Pais: Navy sponsors 44% of secrecy orders — Pais patents?, ; Skunk Works® CFR Program: Air Force sponsors 34% — CFR patents?.

What is the Patent Secrecy Orders program? ▾

What primary source PDFs are available for Patent Secrecy Orders? ▾

1 PDF document is available: "United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Statistics on Patent Secrecy Orders 2024". This document contains a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) response from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) providing statistical activity reports on patent secrecy orders for...

What are the alternative names or aliases for Patent Secrecy Orders? ▾

Patent Secrecy Orders is also known as: patent secrecy orders, Invention Secrecy Act, and USPTO secrecy. These alternative names appear across different source documents and may reflect codenames, abbreviations, or historical references.

What external sources document Patent Secrecy Orders? ▾

Patent Secrecy Orders is documented by 3 external sources, including 1 government statistics, 1 government report, and 1 reference page. Notable references include "Invention Secrecy Statistics — Federation of American Scientists", "USPTO Patent Secrecy Order Statistics (FOIA Release, 2024)", and "Invention Secrecy Act — Federation of American Scientists Resource Page".

Why is Patent Secrecy Orders considered classified or significant? ▾

What is the historical timeline for Patent Secrecy Orders? ▾

Patent Secrecy Orders is referenced across documents spanning 2019–2026, with activity noted in 2019, 2024, and 2026. This temporal range is derived from the primary source documents in the research archive.