MP3 players were on the market far before iPODs even existed, and date back to players marketed by creative and Diamond Multimedia (remember them?). Early Devices used RS232 ports to transfer data to and from them, or worked like a tape recorder, with a line-in Jack.

Sure his drawings were impressive for his time, but as it appears, a prototype was never made, and the product never made it to the market.

If thinking of a concept, putting it onto paper, and never going forward with it (even if it is because of lack of funds, support or even cash) constituted “invention”, then the ancient Egyptians invented the airplane, and all those Sci-Fi cartoonists invented everything from the Rocket to the cell phone.

Everyone wants to think that they are the first. Apple fanboys would like to think that they had the first MP3 player, Prius owners like to think that they had the first “eco” car (when in fact there was a fully electronic car in 1899 & 1900(http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aacarselectrica.htm).

Just my Two cents.

I don’t understand why some North American jurisdictions can’t make the same distinction. I’ve tried to discover the rationale behind this, but the discussion always goes off at a tangent, and becomes about actual spying (bugging, or discovery of secrets) which clearly is correctly illegal in both cases.

In my mind, anyone who is a victim of a crime should be legally allowed to make a record of events (without having to read out a legal disclaimer to the criminal) in order to bring them to justice. Why should anyone require protection from having their words recorded on a tape, or their deeds recorded on a surveillance cam (no cheap toilet jokes please)? If you don’t want it recorded, don’t say it, and don’t do it!