patent-secrecy-orders

Overview

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.

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