The Creator Of The Fidget Spinner Hasn’t Gotten A Dime

If you haven't heard of the Fidget Spinner consider yourself lucky. But, you might be living under a rock.

They are these cheap little "Y" shaped toys that you spin on your fingers. Kids are obsessed with them. And, I have to admit that I am obsessed with them too.

I own two of them, and I am sure you won't  be too surprised to know that I even ordered an Italy Fidget Spinner that should arrive this week.

But, I am sure you are looking at these things thinking that someone is making a boatload of money off of this. Well, you would be wrong.

According to Time, it turns out the woman who invented them isn't getting a dime.

62-year-old Catherine Hettinger from Orlando, Florida invented them back in the '90s and got a patent in 1997.  She pitched it to several companies, including Hasbro, but no one wanted to make them.

So she let the patent lapse in 2005 rather than pay the fee.  And now, of course, they've randomly become a hit and EVERYONE'S making them without paying her any royalties . . . including Hasbro.

Catherine has a surprisingly zen attitude toward all of it, though.

She says, quote, "Several people have asked me:  'Aren't you really mad?'  But for me, I'm just pleased that something I designed is something people understand and really works for them."

[via: Time]