Gordon Gould, a physicist, is credited to be the inventor of the LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Although he tried to file earlier applications, his first patent was issued in 1968.
Those early years were a turbulent time for inventors and developers as laser technology was just starting. Gould fought for his patents with both the U.S. Patent Office and laser manufacturers for a period of over 30 years. In 1985, the Patent Office was forced to issue one of his major patents. He continued his litigation efforts and later, was able to win licensing fees. Although his legal action was expensive, he was able to make millions of dollars on his patents.