Patent sought for 'killer' microchip

SAUDI ARABIA - A Saudi Arabian inventor has filed for a patent in Germany for an implantable microchip that can track and remotely kill a person, German news source The Local reports . But the nature of the invention means it is unlikely that it will be granted copyright protection.

The patent application is for a chip that can be inserted under the skin and sends encrypted radio waves to tracking satellites, in order to track criminals, fugitives, terrorists or illegal immigrants.

"In recent times the number of people sought by security forces has increased," the inventor wrote in his application. "I apply for these reasons and for reasons of state security and the security of citizens."

The chip could also contain a poison that could be remotely released to kill the subject in the event that he or she became a security risk. The Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger dubbed the invention "The Killer Chip."

• Click here to see a photo of the "Killer Chip"

While the patent application is still pending in Germany, according to The Local it is likely that it will be rejected due to a clause in German patent law forbidding inventions that "transgress public order or good morals." A spokeswoman for the German patent office said that most inventors apply for patents in multiple countries, and that the inventor of the "Killer Chip" probably did so as well.