Definitely worked well for some people: "By April 1988, when Gould's use patent was approved, optically pumped amplifier patents covered 80% of the lasers made

Definitely worked well for some people: "By April 1988, when Gould's use patent was approved, optically pumped amplifier patents covered 80% of the lasers made in the United States. The market for lasers had ballooned to more than $500 million per year. Suddenly, Gould was a multimillionaire." http://electronicdesign.com/article/components/gordon-gould-the-long-battle-for-the-laser-patent1/2.aspx http://electronicdesign.com/article/components/gordon-gould-...