Patents are a tool used against the common man of intelligence! All intelligent men know that patents do not protect them. When you have invented something very useful or scientific, it is your duty to keep it a secret.
If you do not keep this invention a secret, then someone will come along, usually a company who could use the invention, and claim it as their own. So we assume that a government patent would protect you? Absolutely not! Is not the government one big business? There have been countless ideas and inventions stolen by the government!
For example, take the sunflower seed. The sunflower seed has for many centuries been used to grow sunflowers. An very intelligent man by the name of Hubert McCleary had the idea to taste one of these sunflower seeds after sitting in the hot sun for a couple days. To his surprise, the sunflower seed tasted really good! He now had a new invention: the edible sunflower seed.
So excited over his recent discovery, he placed the sunflower seeds out in the sun and started eating them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No one knew his growing obsession with sunflower seeds. One day a neighbor came over and caught him in the act. “Hey, what are ya doing with them darn sunflower seeds?” he asked. “Uh, uh nothing!” replied Hubert. “Looks like you’re doing sumthin’ with those seeds, putting them in your mouth like a funny man!”. Shocked at being caught, he finally confessed to his discovery.
“You see these seeds? Try one, its delicious” said Hubert. The neighbor picked one up and put it in his mouth. A look of astonishment came over the neighbor. “This be the damned best seed I’d ever eaten in my whole pork eating dirt slinging life! Give me another!” Hubert was reluctant, but he complied with the request.
Soon the whole town heard about Hubert’s miracle seed. He became popular, well liked. He felt that his discovery was truly a miracle. Unfortunately, big daddy business came to the rescue. “Say there old man, how would you like to earn some money selling these here seeds?” Hubert was so excited about all the good fortune his discovery had brought, he said “Sure!”
Big daddy business then said “Well, what you need is a patent, to protect you from someone stealing this idea, ya hear? Go down and write to the patent office and have this put into your name.” So Hubert, not knowing anything about business or money, just good tasting seeds, did just that.
In a matter of weeks, edible sunflower seeds were all over the news. Pictures on the front page paper portrayed young children swimming in these sunflower seeds, beautiful models holding them in front of cameras, and new recipes with sunflower seeds in them. But poor Hubert didn’t see a check come in! In fact, he saw not a dime as new companies were created around the sunflower seed.
Hubert wasn’t upset though, because he was not a man of money or business. “Leave that to those big daddy businessmen ” he thought. But, Hubert was a happy man, knowing that he had a secret that the whole world would never know, besides his small town that he discovered the edible sunflower seed.
So wonderful Hubert would recommend never getting a patent, because good ideas are always stolen and exploited by whomever learns about it outside of the people you know. Invent because you are curious, not for financial reward. If someone steals your idea, then you know it is good! Patents that fully protect your invention cost too much for most people to afford anyway! Keep on inventing!