Inventions and patents, and the millions of dollars that might accompany successful patents, are the stuff of daydreams. Who wouldn’t like to invent some amazing gizmo, breeze through the patent process and retire to a beautiful beach?

The reality of being an inventor, however, is much less glamorous than people realize. As the brilliant American inventor Thomas Edison said, “I never did anything worth doing entirely by accident. Almost none of my inventions were derived in that manner. They were achieved by having trained myself to be analytical and to endure and tolerate hard work.”

In addition to the hard work of inventing, it is important to remember that the patent process can be difficult and complicated.

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