So many inventions were based upon developing principles of the time, and it's hard to apportion the correct share of the credit to each party involved.
I've also found that different countries often teach a somewhat different viewpoint. Ask almost any Brit (well, any reasonably well-educated Brit) who invented TV and he will almost certainly reply "John Logie Baird." Many other countries acknowledge the contributions of all the other men who had a part in the invention.
By the way, on a somewhat unrelated matter of different countries' viewpoints, there are still some British history books that state American independence was 1783. The rest of the world accepts the correct date of 1776!
The patent question is certainly a big issue -- Just look at the case of Alexander Graham Bell vs. Elisha Gray. Just think: For over a hundred years Americans could have been talking about the "Gray System" and "Ma Gray."
It doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? (If you'll pardon the pun!)
