HA: Feds patent onion routing (Was: Pentagon Hides Behind Onion Wraps)

[Zakas, Phillip]

        > Declan wrote:
        > Syverson, who is listed on the patent with co-inventors
Michael Reed
        > and David Goldschlag, defended the government's move. "It is a
        > necessary step for those of us working for the government to
bring
        > technology to the public," Syverson said.

        How about simply publishing a paper on the topic (and actually
I've been reading papers from the onion router project for several
years...since 1996??)  Since when were patents necessary to 'bring
technology to the public'?