ANALOG SUPERPOWERS: How Twentieth-Century Technology Theft Built the National Security State

A gripping history that spans law, international affairs, and top-secret technology to unmask the tension between intellectual property rights and national security. Details how two British inventors came up with an analog computer that could transmit data on battleships to the gunners, and how the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy pirated it, one after the other. When the inventors sued, both the British and US governments invoked secrecy, citing national security concerns. Analyzes these and related legal battles over naval technology, exploring how national defense tested the two countries' commitment to individual rights and the free market. Contains 20 halftone images and 1 table.