'!'.- .. - ·• 

RES TIHG'tH:HJ 

RESTRICTED 

NATIONAL Sf~Gt11Hti Y Ac;JENCY 

Wa.~hlne; I.on 2.$, D. 0, 

SBUUfH ':PY INP'dRHN.e±eN 

NSA R:&;GULA T r .. NUMBER 80~2 

13 June 1953 

EFF~CTIVE UNTIL 15 JULY 19~4 UNLESS SOONER 

RBSC IND[i!D on SUl'l!:RSEDED 

SECRECY ORDEHS ON l'J\'l'ENT APPLICATIONS 

SUPERSESSION. . • • • • I 

GENERAL • • • • • • • • II 

POLICY •••••••••• lII 

SUPERVISION • . • ••• IV 

SEC'rION I - SUPERSESSION 

This Regulation ~up0rsed0s N.S.A Reeulat.ion Nu111ber 

80-2 dated 24 June 1952. 

SECTION II - GENERAL 

In accordance wlth 35 USC 181, the Commissioner of 

Patents shall, upon the rcco:mmendo.tion of an appropriate 

official place under a. sec:rccy order any application for 

a patent anri withhold the c~rant of a patent. Tho Assistant Dlrectol"', Research and Devoloprnont, is responsible 

for the investigation, coordiuation and review of patent 

applicatlons submittnd to this Aeoq.cy under the provisions 

1of the law, whict states in part: J · 

11 whonovar the p1lblicati0n or disclosl,lre of o.n 

invention by the ere.nt;ing of a patent, in 

which the Government does not have a property 

interest, mle;ht, in the opinion of the Commissioner, be detrimental to the national 

security, he shall ma.kc the application for 

tho patent in which such invontion ls disclosed available for inspection to the Atomic 

Enore;y Conn11ission, tho Soc1~otary of Defense, 

and the ch.lof off icor or any other depurtmont 

01• agency of the Govornmont dcslgnatod by the 

President as a defense agency of tho United 

Statics. 

"Ii', in tho opinlon of the A tornic Enere;y Commission, the Secretary of a Dcfen~e Department, 

or the chief or r.i.ccr of ano t.hor depa1 .. ·tmon t or 

agency :::io doslcnated, the .Publication or disclosure of tho invention by the granting of a 

RESTRICTED 

eclassifi ed and a ro d for rel ea e b SA on 09-17-2013 ursuantto E .0. 13 2 
REF ID:A104609 

RESTRICTED 

RHS'£R IC'f'F.ID SEGUflI'fY l f'fFORMNi'IOPl 

NSA REGULATION 

NUMBER 80-2 

2,3 June l.9 53 

patent therefor would bo detrimental to the 

na tionnl security, the Atomic Enor·c;y Cornrnisslon, 

tho Socretary or a Defense Department, or such 

other chief officer shall notify the Oommissionor 

and the Commissloncr 'shall order that the invention be kept secret and shall withhold the ljl"•nt. 

of a patent for such period as national intor1 , ', 

requires, and notify the applican~ thereof." 

SECTION III - POLICY 

The ques,tion of placing under seci"ecy orders crypto1-ogic paterlt applications which have been filed in the 

,. 

United State~ and one or rnore foreign count1•ios is one ,., that falls within the evaluation p1•occdu1•03 established 

by this law. Since cryptologic invention:;; are of r.:o specialized a nature that additional criteria mu$t be obno1•-

ved in consideration of them, the folloi: i.ng policy is es tnblishcd for,guidance of !;hose in this Aeonc-:; concerned: 

a. A cryptolol)iC pat0nt; ap )licn~ion will not be recom- , mended for retention undor a v0cr.•ocy order if this patent 

application has been f llotl ln on•;} or more foreign count;rios, 

excopt as otherwise prov:tcfod ulldcr lnliornational a~x·eemcnt. 

(Reference Department of tho Al•my Sorlal Docuruent, Short 

Title DA-DCMI, "Disc losu:i•c oJ.' Clt-i.ssif'iod Hili tary Info1·-

mation to Foralgn GovcJ.•r.montc"). 

b. The Assistant Dirccto1•,; Hosearch and Development, 

on being not if iod tlw.t n c1•yptologlc patent which has already beon or which ls p1•01)osed to bo fil~d in on·Z! or mo:i:•c 

foreign colmt1•leu 1~ 1J1.:11r1:i.i"',f.; ln JJ:o dni t;cC: ~3tatc~, wj 11 

physicE1lly innpoct anc~ \,:.r.':11.untc the p::11;ont f.\pplict..:.: 1,;n .. 

( l) 11', in tho juilgcnr1ent; of 't;he Assistant lHr•(,..:-

tor ,t Hl3Solu,•ch anll Dovoloplacnt, the pe,tmu, 

appJ:icD t~:ton iH n.)t relevant, or :i,f i.t.. c~:,1-

bodies Ol1l;y u slmple crypt.oloc;lc p.r-ineipl:,> 

tbc rc;vo lv ti on of which woulu not be ri,e ~l' 1-

mout.l\l l:;o tlw ac ti vi ties of thic Ago111'.;':J c.~"lu 

would n(,)t endaIJger nat10!1al secn'r'i t.y, !10 

will inako the i•oco1il!l1cnd~tion that U·i -~w>l ics tlon not be placed under· n ::ecr•oc:i ,•.~l~;r • 

...... ----- ( 2) If, ln 'Lh·3 judgcwu!l't ol" tl10 .. :\:3r. ,l.s i.i1111;, lJll"<';;Ctor, Roser-1,rch and Devr~lopmuiit, tllo patent 

appl ic a. tion_.9..ll.wdiCSC1•"'jpto loc; i c p:::· lL'lC l}1l~s 

RESTRIC:fED 
RESTRICTED 

. ftt!:5"fft!e'fEf) - 8ECtffiI'fY I !fti'eflM!t'fIOU 

NSA REGULATION 23 June 1953 

NUMBER 80-2 

tho revelation of which may be detrimental 

to the ~ctivltios of this Agonoy or may 

endanger. national security, he will coordinate tho\ mattei• witn the Assistant Director, 

Production, and the Chief, Office of Communication Security, and the Chie.f of any 

Staff Division who may have an interest. in 

patent application. 1f no objections are 

requested to the stnted policy, a recommendation will bo made that the patent application not be placed undor a ~ecrecy 

order. However, if an objoction to the 

above policy is roquosted, the Chlef of 

the Staff Division or Office requosting 

the ob jec ti on wi 11 state in wrl tine; his 

objectiono. The objections and all allied 

pa.perc will be forwarded to the Assistant 

Director, Research and Development, for review and evaluation. Tho Assistant Director, Research and Dcvelopmen~ will forward 

the objections, allied paperz, and his recornmendationo to the Director for final 

decision. 

SECTION IV - SUPERVISION 

Supervision for the implementation of tho policy 

established herein is the responsibility of the Assistant Director, Resoarch and Development. 

BY COMMAND OF.LIEUTENANT GENERAL CANINE: 

OFFICIAL.: 

..-'."" •.. J /.' /"l(J • • .,, ;..' •.• ~ 1/ " ........ 4 .... __ • .. • ., •. ,.~-..,,,. ..., 

GEO. E·~ .. 1JtillBELL, 

Colonel, AGC 

Adjutant General 

DIS'fR IBUT I ON I 

ALFRED R. MARCY 

Colonel,US Army 

Chief of Staff 

RESTRieTED