Peoples & Things Kate Epstein on How Twentieth-Century Technology Theft Built the National-Security State" (U Chicago Press, 2024)
Oct 27, 2025
Join Kate Epstein, an associate professor of history at Rutgers University-Camden and author of Analog Superpowers, as she dives into how twentieth-century technology theft influenced the national-security state. She discusses the legal battles over naval fire-control systems, the complexities of intellectual property in wartime, and the implications of secrecy on innovation. Epstein also shares insights on the competitive tensions in military procurement and the rigorous research methods that shaped her work.
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Analog Computers Solved Naval Aiming
- Arthur Pollen and Harold Isherwood built early mechanical analog computers for naval gunfire control that solved calculus problems in real time.
- Their work linked intellectual property, defense contracting, and national-security secrecy in Anglo-American naval history.
Secrecy Overrode Patent Claims
- Both Britain and the U.S. used secrecy doctrines to block patent claims by Pollen and Isherwood over their fire-control system.
- The state secrets and crown privilege doctrines prevented plaintiffs from accessing evidence to prove their IP claims.
A Chasm Between IP And Security History
- Legal historians and military/diplomatic historians often ignore each other's evidence and methods.
- That disciplinary gap hides how IP law and national security secrecy interact in technology transfer.
