Patented products are not superior products. A patent only guarantees that the product is significantly different from others similar to it. Superiority is determined by the user rather than by the inventor. Until the invention is commercialized and in widespread use, the patent has little value. However, consider where Polaroid would be today if Dr. Edwin Land had not patented the company's products.
Patent protection is only as good as the vigilance one maintains against infringers.
The value of a patent lies in its offensive power, which becomes apparent when a patent holder warns a violator to discontinue the unauthorized use of the invention or risk litigation. In court proceedings, patent holders are certainly looked upon more favorably than violators. However, the burden of vigilance falls upon the patent holder. It is safest to file a patent application before an invention is commercialized. Determining the patentability of the invention and meeting the requirements for application are complex processes that experts believe warrant the assistance of a patent attorney, a lawyer who has a degree in physical science or engineering.