What the government can and will do is contained in two phrases: "Manifest Destiny," and "Eminent Domain." The first, Manifest Destiny, was the political doctrine which told everyone it was God's Will that we (Americans) posess, occupy and exploit all the lands between the two native shores of the North American continent. (Canada: ya lucked-out!). The second, Eminent Domain, says that, if you have it, and the government wants it (usually land, but has been applied to inventions as well), they *can* offer you a 'fair price' (usually a paltry pitance), but they can otherwise take what they want from you "in the name of the greater good" -- or, how I lost my farm to an unused interstate freeway (San Jose, Ca). [demime 1.01a removed an attachment of type application/ms-tnef]