I vaguely recall the debate about the qualities and morals of James Watt and his partnership with Thomas Boulton.... As I understand:
There were many ideas patented by them - to protect the business and in some way monopolise and profit from the ideas. Yet not all the items patented were theirs, nor had they any "rights" by which they should have precedent over the profits, yet what they did was permissible within the laws and such at the time. As we know, some ideas were attributed to James Watt as the originator. Despite other records showing they originated elsewhere.
Needless to expand, but in making lots of money, they expanded the application of steam engines considerably, to create the history we know to be recorded.
I think the similar "credit" is due to Thomas Edison, and also in consideration to Nicola Tesla. But we live in a "commercial world". And it seems anyone can really grab a good idea and sell it as theirs in respect of anything.
My Brother did a sketch of his perspective of a motorcycle on a beer mat in a pub, to explain his ideas to me. Later,as we went to leave, I asked if I could take the beer mat, but somehow it had disappeared. A year or 2 later, a magazine article was published with this new concept of a motorcycle - embodying all the features that my brother proposed..... and that has been replicated a few times since (not very successfully).
There are some books written on the various "attributed" designers and inventors, when records show they were simply using, adapting or re-applying an un-controlled idea from another.
So the discussion above is an age-old message that someone will make money from any idea, and rarely attribute it to the genuine originator....
The people who are clever enough to have all the good ideas, seldom seem to be able to be clever enough to make money from those ideas. But others usually do.
Tough? - That's life.
K2
There were many ideas patented by them - to protect the business and in some way monopolise and profit from the ideas. Yet not all the items patented were theirs, nor had they any "rights" by which they should have precedent over the profits, yet what they did was permissible within the laws and such at the time. As we know, some ideas were attributed to James Watt as the originator. Despite other records showing they originated elsewhere.
Needless to expand, but in making lots of money, they expanded the application of steam engines considerably, to create the history we know to be recorded.
I think the similar "credit" is due to Thomas Edison, and also in consideration to Nicola Tesla. But we live in a "commercial world". And it seems anyone can really grab a good idea and sell it as theirs in respect of anything.
My Brother did a sketch of his perspective of a motorcycle on a beer mat in a pub, to explain his ideas to me. Later,as we went to leave, I asked if I could take the beer mat, but somehow it had disappeared. A year or 2 later, a magazine article was published with this new concept of a motorcycle - embodying all the features that my brother proposed..... and that has been replicated a few times since (not very successfully).
There are some books written on the various "attributed" designers and inventors, when records show they were simply using, adapting or re-applying an un-controlled idea from another.
So the discussion above is an age-old message that someone will make money from any idea, and rarely attribute it to the genuine originator....
The people who are clever enough to have all the good ideas, seldom seem to be able to be clever enough to make money from those ideas. But others usually do.
Tough? - That's life.
K2
