Electric Rain said:
Every TV program I've ever seen about patents has stressed how few actually make any money, most money making patents are registered by companies, who have the financial resources to protect it.
One of the classic patent examples (which did make money) was the Workmate portable workbench, the inventor (who took out a patent on it) spent years trying to sell the idea to any company at all. Eventually he approached Black and Decker, who took it on, and have had huge worldwide success with it. They have also had a great many legal fights with other manufacturers infringing the copyright, winning court cases all over the world.