Inventor-populism movie Flash of Genius - intermittent-wiper story
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http://robertplattbell.blogspot.com/2008/04/we-have-met-enem...
I'm sure you've head of Robert Kearns, "the windshield wiper guy". Kearns will tell anyone who will listen how he has been screwed out of his invention by the big car companies. Unfortunately, the reverse is true. According to the Washington Post, Kearns was offered almost $30 million for his investment (some sources say close to $50 million) in the 1970's, only to turn it down, insisting that the car companies buy his invention directly from him. After years of tedious litigation, and losing nearly everything (wife, health, home), Kearns has finally won far less than the original offer, most of which went to lawyer's fees.
It is very unfortunate, as Kearns perpetuates the myth of the big corporation being out to "get" the little guy. Worse yet, inventors such as Kearns convince many corporations to adopt an "NIH" (Not Invented Here) policy with regard to outside inventions.
The tragedy of Kearns is that he has fought so long for what he believed are the rights of the little guy -- while his battle has actually harmed the chances of solo inventors in the future. Please don't do us any more "favors", Mr. Kearns!
A good friend of mine recently took a job as corporate patent counsel for a large sporting goods company. He has tried, mostly in vain, to get outside ideas submitted by solo inventors considered by the company.
His biggest obstacle? Not management... Not the engineers... The inventors themselves! Many inventors who have very good ideas fall into the same trap of mistrust and vacillation. If the company expresses an interest in the invention, the inventor immediately thinks that the company is going to "screw" him. Eventually, management gets frustrated and drops the idea.