Plight of the Patentee: The Case for Restoring InventorsÕ RightsThe fate of inventors and patentees today is far worse than it was for Robert Kearnsthe inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper whose story was portrayed in the movie, A Flash of Genius. Mr. Kearns battled automotive infringers for years on end. His wife divorced him. He became estranged from his children. He was placed in a mental hospital. Eventually he prevailed. But Mr. Kearns only had to battle infringers. Today, an inventors battles to