Patents Belong to the Elite

I am an engineer/scientist who creates stuff, mostly processes, that in theory, make the world a little better. Most patents don't get utilized, I think in part because the one who creates the patent with the help of his employer has no vested interest in the patent. I have 12 or 13 patents and my previous employers who are now out of business own those patents. I have to sign a piece of paper that says every thought I have belongs to my employer on the first day of work. Otherwise, I don't get the job or the consulting contract. So, I get to work for the man, create something, and he profits from it. When I found out how this system works, I started sandbagging. I kept items I thought could be patentable and make my company some money in a notebook that I have long since lost. I was still one of the better employees and got better raises than most of my fellow engineers. Turning in a patent made me more work, and made my company more money, but did nothing for me. And even worse, I did not get to decide anything about what a new business would look like that used the patent. My job was in R&D, and I was not bright enough to worry about the complicated matters of running a business. As a consultant, the same story is true as I complain about in this podcast. This podcast is not inspiration, I would not recommend listening to it, but it did make me feel a little better.