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"Alexander said that if he determines that he needs to use technology or methods that the NSA has patented, he will pay for a license". Why can the NSA patent

"Alexander said that if he determines that he needs to use technology or methods that the NSA has patented, he will pay for a license". Why can the NSA patent anything at all, preventing the public from using the technology it generated with taxpayers' money?

res0nat0r 12y ago
Why not? It is just like many other companies that invent technologies that might happen to also be funded by the public. See DARPA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA
- Alupis 12y ago
  Can I call up the NSA and obtain a license for say... XKeyScore? Probably not... so this is egregious.
  - res0nat0r 12y ago
    Not everything developed by the government is automatically supposed to be available to the public so I guess I don't understand your point.
    - Alupis 12y ago
      The point is how is it acceptable that a previously-public-servant can have insider knowledge about "secret" government patents and he can obtain a license to use the technology but I cannot? That's absurd and an abuse of power and privilege.
      - ObviousScience 12y ago
        Did it say he was going to use secret patents? Or just that he was going to use NSA patents? Because the NSA maintains a list of patented technologies that they offer to the public on various terms: http://www.nsa.gov/research/_files/tech_transfers/nsa_technology_transfer_program.pdf http://www.nsa.gov/research/_files/tech_transfers/nsa_techno...
        Alupis 12y ago
        Even if he uses knowledge, methods, practices, routines, guidelines, etc from his time serving at the NSA -- I would expect a NDA to prevent him from using any of that knowledge -- my company made me sign one, and so do most.
        deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
raverbashing 12y ago
"Why can the NSA patent anything at all" I wouldn't bother with anything they patented. If they did that it means it's not worthy of secrecy. It's that simple. Patents are public
- datapolitical 12y ago
  Not all patents are public, for at least some the government can file a private patent on secret tech and only have to reveal it when someone else tries to patent the same thing.
  - Alupis 12y ago
    Yes, but the fact that Alexander has insider-info where he knows about certain "secret" patents and then will "buddy-buddy" pay the government for "licenses" for said secret patents is absurd. How would this work if it were say, Krebs doing the consulting? He would not have access to secret government patents... nor should he (if the patents are supposed to be secret for "national security" purposes). Neither should Alexander.
adestefan 12y ago
It allows the government to prove that they invented it before someone else. It protects them from patent trolls.
samstave 12y ago
Why can't anyone license the public sector work of the NSA?

res0nat0r 12y ago

Why not? It is just like many other companies that invent technologies that might happen to also be funded by the public. See DARPA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA

Alupis 12y ago
Can I call up the NSA and obtain a license for say... XKeyScore? Probably not... so this is egregious.
- res0nat0r 12y ago
  Not everything developed by the government is automatically supposed to be available to the public so I guess I don't understand your point.
  - Alupis 12y ago
    The point is how is it acceptable that a previously-public-servant can have insider knowledge about "secret" government patents and he can obtain a license to use the technology but I cannot? That's absurd and an abuse of power and privilege.
    - ObviousScience 12y ago
      Did it say he was going to use secret patents? Or just that he was going to use NSA patents? Because the NSA maintains a list of patented technologies that they offer to the public on various terms: http://www.nsa.gov/research/_files/tech_transfers/nsa_technology_transfer_program.pdf http://www.nsa.gov/research/_files/tech_transfers/nsa_techno...
      - Alupis 12y ago
        Even if he uses knowledge, methods, practices, routines, guidelines, etc from his time serving at the NSA -- I would expect a NDA to prevent him from using any of that knowledge -- my company made me sign one, and so do most.
        deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]

raverbashing 12y ago

"Why can the NSA patent anything at all" I wouldn't bother with anything they patented. If they did that it means it's not worthy of secrecy. It's that simple. Patents are public

datapolitical 12y ago
Not all patents are public, for at least some the government can file a private patent on secret tech and only have to reveal it when someone else tries to patent the same thing.
- Alupis 12y ago
  Yes, but the fact that Alexander has insider-info where he knows about certain "secret" patents and then will "buddy-buddy" pay the government for "licenses" for said secret patents is absurd. How would this work if it were say, Krebs doing the consulting? He would not have access to secret government patents... nor should he (if the patents are supposed to be secret for "national security" purposes). Neither should Alexander.

adestefan 12y ago

It allows the government to prove that they invented it before someone else. It protects them from patent trolls.

samstave 12y ago

Why can't anyone license the public sector work of the NSA?