An Overview On The Invention Secrecy Act Of 1951

The purpose of the Invention Secrecy Act, 1951

The Invention Secrecy Act was created to restrict the exportation of classified information that may be potentially detrimental to the security of the country. In other words, the Act enables governments to impose "secrecy orders" on patent application that comprises of classified information that is sensitive in nature, thus restricting the disclosure of any information pertaining to the invention and withholding the grant of a patent for that particular invention. The Act's provisions can be imposed upon private individuals or companies as well, if the requirement arises. In sum, the Invention Secrecy Act prevents the disclosure of inventions or technologies if the information provided in the patent application poses a threat to the national security of the United States. The origin of the Invention Secrecy Act can be traced back to 1914, during the World War I. During the war, the Congress had authorized the United