Patent maintenance fees can be a burden to the small inventor; the case of Catherine Hettinger and the fidget spinner

Note the text from US News on Catherine Hettinger, the inventor of the fidget spinner :


As the fidget spinner craze spreads through schools and toy stores, its Florida-based creator hasn't seen a penny of profit decades after inventing the gadget.

Catherine Hettinger couldn't afford to update the patent on her creation – small top-like gadgets that people can spin fast with their fingers and are meant to help children focus – and hasn't banked any money from their rise in popularity. Hettinger's patent expired in 2005, and she couldn't afford the $400 renewal fee, according to The Guardian.



link: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-05-05/fidget-spinner-inventor-misses-major-payday-after-patent-on-toy-expires