What did the declassified documents reveal?

Armed Services Patent Advisory Board Patent Security Category Review List, prepared by the ASPAB sub‑committee, dated January 1971. This document is notable because it is the first edition of a composite category review list that determines which inventions may be disclosed under the public‑patent provisions of title thirty‑five of the United States Code, section one hundred eighty‑one. The source is archived at the Black Vault and available through the Internet Archive. The document was originally classified as Confidential and was later released as unclassified. It appears in the Black Vault collection under the title “Armed Services Patent Advisory Board Patent Security Category Review.” The release is part of the public‑domain holdings of the United States government, and the declassification authority is listed as the originating agency, the Armed Services Patent Advisory Board. The file was made accessible on the archive.org platform, and the full text can be retrieved from the linked entry. The document begins: Armed Services Patent Advisory Board “A‑S‑P‑A‑B” Patent Security Category Review List prepared by ASPAB sub‑committee chairman H. L. Mourning, Army Materiel Command; J. C. Morris, Air Force; B. E. Convey, Navy; January 1971. [Originally classified Confidential – now unclassified] Short title: PSCRL‑1 Patent Security Category Review List. This is the first edition of an ASPAB composite category review list of the categories of inventions that should be made available in accordance with thirty‑five United States Code section one hundred eighty‑one. It resulted from a review and revision of the composite list previously used by the Patent Office. The list was compiled by the ASPAB sub‑committee for revision of the category list comprised of representatives from the Army (Army Materiel Command), the Air Force, and the Navy with the cooperation of the Corps of Engineers, the Atomic Energy Commission, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Security Agency. The assistance of Mr. Charles Pistorino, Corps of Engineers; Mr. Anthony Campana, Atomic Energy Commission; Mr. Howard Maines, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and Mr. John Utermohle, National Security Agency was of significant value in this compilation. Approved by Chairman, ASPAB. Table of contents follows, organized into twenty‑two groups. Selected entries are read verbatim: Group I – Explosives and Inflammables Item 1. Charges, shaped (hollow) (Army Materiel Command) (Navy) Item 2. Explosives (Army Materiel Command) (Navy) (Air Force) Item 3. Explosives, methods of manufacture (Army Materiel Command) (Navy) (Air Force) Item 4. Explosives, raw materials and intermediate materials useful in the production of (Army Materiel Command) (Navy) Item 5. Means and methods of encapsulating an explosive or propellant. (Navy) Item 6. Mixtures, primers and igniters (Army Materiel Command) (Navy) Item 7. Mixtures, tracer (Army Materiel Command) (Air…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Armed Services Patent Advisory Board Patent Security Category Review Declassified Unredacted

◆ BLUF — The short version

Armed Services Patent Advisory Board Patent Security Category Review List, prepared by the ASPAB sub‑committee, dated January 1971. This document is notable because it is the first edition of a composite category review list that determines which inventions may be disclosed under the public‑patent provisions of title thirty‑five of the United States Code, section one hundred eighty‑one.

Date: JUL 31 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Armed Services Patent Advisory Board Patent Security Category Review Declassified Unredacted about?: Armed Services Patent Advisory Board Patent Security Category Review List, prepared by the ASPAB sub‑committee, dated January 1971. This document is notable because it is the first edition of a composite category review list that determines which inventions may be disclosed under the public‑patent provisions of title thirty‑five of the United States Code, section one hundred eighty‑one.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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