Slashdot Mirror
Inventing the Telephone, Independently
An anonymous reader writes "There is a nice article about the history of the telephone at AmericanHeritage.com. Most of us know that Alexander Bell beat Elisha Gray to the patent office by mere hours to claim credit for the invention of the telephone, but did you know that two other inventors can also claim the invention, including Thomas Edison? Similar disputes about independent invention and patent ownership can be found regarding the television, the airplane, and the automobile. Maybe it really is true: the economic benefit of encouraging patents is like that of encouraging window breaking."
little known fact:While God is credited with creating the heavens and the earth, Chuck Norris beat him to it.
Other lesser know inventions by Thomas Edison:
- The Tuxedo T-Shirt
- The Tampon
- and an early version of the inflatable love doll.
In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
Directly comments on the theme of the article
Is 100% factualy accurate
Is logically sound
I guess anyone who doesn't buy the anti-IP hype gets modded as a troll. I think that's a shame.
re: Bell, Isn't it so typical of a Canadian to steal the thunder for someone else's hard work? Talk about a nation of low-down, snivelling, back-stabbing weasels. Smart folk lock up their daughters when those cheating Canucks are around.
BTW - did I ever mention that I invented the internet mere hourse before Al Gore? (A surprising number of people don't realize the web was born in Moose Jaw) The queen is going to knight me for sure...
I just wish he'd invented a way to beat Bush in 2000.
*sigh*