A staggering $500 billion lawsuit has been filed against several prominent U.S. government agencies, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and NASA, alleging tortious interference with business relations and contracts. The complaint was lodged by Ronald Satish Emrit on April 8, 2025, in the United States District Court for the District of Middle Louisiana, targeting six defendants: USPTO, the United States Department of Commerce, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Kennedy Space Center, American Institute of Physics (AIP), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Ronald Satish Emrit's lawsuit centers around his attempts to secure patents for three innovative ideas related to quantum mechanics and astrophysics. Emrit claims that these government entities have obstructed his efforts to obtain design or utility patents under 35 U.S.C. Section 101. He cites precedent from Diamond v. Chakrabarty to support his case for patent eligibility. According to Emrit, he has faced significant hurdles due to a lack of legal assistance in navigating complex patent application processes at the USPTO.
Emrit is not only seeking monetary compensation but also demands that USPTO and the Department of Commerce grant him patents without requiring a patent attorney's involvement. He further requests an injunction mandating recognition of his scientific ideas by NASA GSFC, AIP, Kennedy Space Center, and NSF despite lacking mathematical proof according to traditional scientific disciplines.
The plaintiff identifies himself as an indigent resident splitting time between Florida and Maryland while highlighting his musical endeavors under ASCAP membership since 2005. Despite never receiving royalties from ASCAP, he previously pursued legal action against them in Rhode Island federal court. His lawsuit extends beyond intellectual property issues into broader grievances about accessibility to legal representation in business law cases akin to rights afforded under Gideon v. Wainwright.
Representing himself pro se, Ronald Satish Emrit seeks both punitive damages and equitable relief from these federal institutions over alleged tortious interference with contractual obligations involving his intellectual pursuits in science and music alike.
The case is being presided over by Judge Shelly D. Dick with Case ID 3:25-cv-00301-SDD-SDJ.