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Examples of people who did not patent their inventions and suffered as a result

• Edwin Drake - The first man to successfully drill for oil in the United States
  • "Drake is famous for pioneering a new method for producing oil from the ground. He drilled using piping to prevent borehole collapse, allowing for the drill to penetrate further and further into the ground. (...) Within a day of Drake's striking oil, Drake’s methods were being imitated by others along Oil Creek and in the immediate area. (...) while his pioneering work led to the growth of an oil industry that made many people fabulously rich, for Drake riches proved elusive. Drake did not possess good business acumen. He failed to patent his drilling invention, and proceeded to lose all of his savings in oil speculation in 1863. He was to end up as an impoverished old man" (Source)

Getting a patent on your own

Books

• 2015 - Nolo - Patent Pending in 24 Hours
• 2016 - Nolo - Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office

Web articles

• Nolo - Getting a Patent on Your Own
  • Do you need to hire a lawyer to apply for a patent?
    • In most cases, the answer is "no." You can do it yourself, and save thousands of dollars on attorneys' fees.
  • To obtain a patent, you need to:
    
    • make sure your invention qualifies for a patent, and
    • be able to describe all aspects of your invention.
  • Steps to Filing a Patent Application
    
    • 1. Keep a Careful Record of Your Invention
      
      • Record every step of the invention process in a notebook.
        • Describe and diagram every aspect and every modification of the invention
          • including how you came up with the idea for it.
      • Depending on the invention, you may also want to build and test a prototype.
      • Document all of these efforts.
        • Sign and date each entry.
        • Have two reliable witnesses sign as well.
    • 2. Make Sure Your Invention Qualifies for Patent Protection
    • 3. Assess the Commercial Potential of Your Invention
    • 4. Do a Thorough Patent Search
    • 5. Prepare and File an Application With the USPTO

• Quora - How should I protect my IP?

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