Do some American patent applications have to go through confidential examination first?
Article 18 1 of the Patent Law of the United States stipulates that if the person in charge of the relevant government agency thinks that the publication or publication of an invention due to the grant of a patent certificate may endanger national security, it shall notify the Patent and Trademark Office to keep the invention confidential and detain the patent certificate. If the director of the Patent and Trademark Office thinks that the publication or publication of an invention due to the grant of a patent certificate may endanger national security, he shall submit the patent application for the invention to the Atomic Energy Commission, the Minister of National Defense and the head of the agency designated by the President for examination. If they think it may endanger national security, they should notify the director of the Patent and Trademark Office to keep the invention confidential, detain the patent certificate within the time limit required by national interests, and notify the applicant.