[EAS]It's the Law!

[pjk]

Subject:   It's the Law!

One of the laws of physics, in this case, happily joined by the legal
variety.  --PJK

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(from What's New for Sep 06, 2002)

PATENT NONSENSE: COURT DENIES BLACKLIGHT POWER APPEAL.  The
status of BlackLight Power's intellectual property is fuzzier
than ever.  BLP was awarded Patent 6,024,935 for "Lower-Energy
Hydrogen Methods and Structures," a process for getting hydrogen
atoms into a "state below the ground state" (WN 18 Feb 00).  You
might expect these shrunken hydrogen atoms, called "hydrinos," to
have a pretty special chemistry.  Do they ever!  Indeed, a second
patent application titled "Hydride Compounds" had been assigned a
number and BLP had paid the fee.  Several other patents were in
the works.  That's when things started heading South.  Prompted
by an outside inquiry (who would do such a thing?), the patent
director became concerned that this hydrino stuff required the
orbital electron to behave "contrary to the known laws of physics
and chemistry."  The Hydride Compounds application was withdrawn
for further review and the other patent applications were
rejected.  Since the one patent already issued involves the same
violations of basic laws of physics, there is a cloud over its
status as well.  BLP filed suit in federal court arguing that it
was too late for the Patent Office to change its mind.  The court
was not impressed, so BLP appealed the decision.  In denying the
appeal, the court said the Patent Office has a responsibility to
take "extraordinary action" to withdraw a questionable patent.
The long-awaited IPO may have to wait a little longer.