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Burdick and his peers specialize in intellectual property, or patents (excluding others from making, using, selling and importing inventions), trademarks (protecting words and designs), copyright (copying original works) and trade secret rights (confidential business information).

Patent attorneys must have a technical background and law degree, and pass the patent agents exam administered through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Before he graduated from law school, Burdick earned a bachelor's in chemistry and worked four years as a research chemist for Conoco Phillips Co. His firm focuses nearly 100 percent on patent law.

"Basically, a patent attorney has to sell his time,” Burdick said. "Every invention is different. There's no such thing as doing things by form. If an application lacks breadth, a patent could be worthless.”

Burdick tells his clients to anticipate a five-year application process. Patents cost $8,000 to $20,000, depending on the complexity involved.

Burdick has helped clients obtain patents for saws, wrenches, conveyor belts, textile dying machines and tools that fish broken parts from oil wells, among other things.

U.S. patents number more than 7 million. Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of applications, about one-third of which are awarded. Studies show 93 percent of those issued never make a dime in the marketplace.

Inventors aren't required to have attorneys to file patent applications, but they're crazy not to, said Jim Robinson, a Norman patent attorney.

"Seemingly innocent statements in an application can doom you where you'll never get a patent,” Robinson said.

Robinson is defending in Los Angeles a client's alleged infringement on a patent for traction bars for drag racing. Most patent infringement cases never go to court, he said.

With multiple technical experts, litigation can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, any time someone sues for infringement, they risk losing their patent, Robinson said.

Tony Rahhal, a patent attorney with McAfee and Taft, enjoys working with scientists and inventors.

"Whether it's a large company or individual, it's nice to help get things running,” Rahhal said. Many times, patents are built into a successful business, he said.