>>>Hi,
>>> You may see companies like SEFE Inc, listed on the NASDAQ OTCBB market under the ticker SEFE, stating that they're on the verge of creating the next energy super-trend: an entirely new alternative energy industry called Atmospheric Energy.
>>>
>>> For the record these technologies do exist, but they have and always will fall foul of the Invention Secrecy Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_Secrecy_Act.
>>>
>>> In a nutshell, once you are ready to go into production with these technologies the Governments confiscate the invention and force you to sign the Official Secrets Act not to divulge any details regarding the invention.
>>>
>>> There have been many much better inventions than this confiscated by the Government.
>>
>>I would stay away from such investments for other reasons. It may well be an investment scam, in the sense of companies claiming to have a major breakthrough when, indeed, they haven't. It wouldn't be the first time.
>>
>>In this particular case, no serious scientist will doubt that there is "free energy" available in the atmosphere. The real problem is, whether it is practical to extract it. To quote the Wikipedia article on atmospheric electricity: "Whilst a certain amount of observational work has been done in the branches of atmospheric electricity, the science has not developed to a considerable extent. It is thought that any apparatus which might be used to extract useful energy from atmospheric electricity would be prohibitively costly to build and maintain, which is probably why the field has not attracted much interest."
>
>I always love the 'forward looking statement' concept:
>"All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise."
>
>i.e. if they subsequently discover that what they are trying to do is impossible they are under no obligation to advise shareholders of the fact :-}

Oh. Interesting. So, as they say, caveat emptor... It seems advisable to carefully read the T&C.