51.   Now patent applications are secret.

52.   On average, four patent applications come out of the company each workday.

53.   One issue that remains is whether Lilly deliberately withheld information in its patent application, a claim analysts believe may be difficult to prove.

54.   One reason for the surprise is that patent applications in the United States are secret until they are granted.

55.   Other patent applications are pending for the privately held firm.

56.   Others have had similar ideas, but USA Video believes recent court decisions give its patent broad applications.

57.   Patents have been issued on a method for producing a personal golf lesson video, computer software for privatizing socialist economies, even a process for filing patent applications.

58.   Platt said patent applications had been filed, though we were unable to locate them on the Internet site of the US Patent and Trademark Office this week.

59.   Prior art refers to technology that was known within the industry before the patent application was made.