You can patent the process for creating superconducting materials: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=superconducting+patents&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1,14&as

You can patent the process for creating superconducting materials: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=superconducting+patents&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1,14&as_sdtp=on http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=superconducting+patents&... Presumably, that's what is being release into the public domain.