The patent office was once almost closed for good after the invention of the steam engine, because they thought that everything that could be invented already had been.
If you have proof that something is NOT a perpetual motion machine, then they would have to allow it.
I don’t think I am buying that argument as a reason for keeping it this secret- if it is as he claimed he would be sitting on $billions, and it would change the world, so sharing it would make you one of the most famous people in history.
None of the arguments for keeping it hidden make sense when balanced against the enormous benefits.
Mind you, I would be THRILLED to see it be true- I am 1000% in favor of finding new discoveries in science. But this does not pass the smell test- so far, but so far its been about 10 years of nothing.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) now rejects patents claiming cold fusion. Esther Kepplinger, the deputy commissioner of patents in 2004, said that this was done using the same argument as with perpetual motion machines: that they do not work.
Other countries have granted patents for LENR technology.
There’s a long way between an invention and a product. Rossi made the invention years ago. The product is still under development. He as much right to keep his product development secret as Apple does.