I wrote:
> However, others are trying to develop powder, and they may be catching up. > . . . > [Various people] wish to reverse engineer the powder and develop a new type > not beholden to Rossi. > They may be able to do this outside of Italy, where Rossi has no patent. Or perhaps inside Italy too, if the patent is not good. In the future, Rossi might be granted a comprehensive patent. That will make it impossible to develop a new type not beholden to him. You will not be able to "invent around" him. Some experts believe that Rossi does not have deep knowledge of the reaction, so he is not capable of writing a broad patent that would cover a wide range of implementations. He only knows how to make this one implementation. Ed Storms says this would put him in the position of someone who has invented a carbon filament incandescent light, without a broad patent to cover alternative implementations. When the tungsten light comes along he has nothing. I do not know the extent of Rossi's knowledge, so I cannot judge this issue. For that matter I do not know what a comprehensive patent would look like since I do not understand the reaction. I think it is clear that Rossi owes a great deal to Piantelli and Arata for prior art, and also Mills and others who did Ni-H cold fusion. The Patent Office would say he owes them even if he knew nothing about their work when he made his discoveries. If he knew nothing about them, then whether he owes them in the scientific sense is an interesting philosophical question. - Jed
