Active Planet: Aus court finds magnetic motors "could not work."

Although registered in the USA, Cycclone Magnetic Engines Inc (CME) in fact operated from the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia. It ran a promotional website which purported to show an engine that it claimed was driven by magnetic forces only, and required no fuel.

But, said the Queensland Court on 31 July, having heard expert evidence from Dr Geoffrey Walker, an engineering expert on behalf of ASIC (the Australian company's regulator) and Mr William Potts on behalf of CME and Mr Nugent found

• CME had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, or conduct that was likely to mislead or deceive, by representing on the CME website that the engine worked when such an engine could not work.

   

• CME had falsely represented that acquiring shares in CME was an investment in proven technology.

The engineers agreed:

• The proposed permanent magnet motor would comprise a perpetual motion machine.

   

• The aim of using permanent magnets to produce power to propel motor vehicles or conventional industrial machines cannot be achieved.

Indeed, ASIC's case report says "Mr Potts stated that ‘[t]he hope of making an engine that will operate purely on magnets is forlorn’. Dr Walker said that the development of an engine of this type was not scientifically feasible."