Epilogue

Marconi had established a consortium of powerful British investors. Several of these were members of Parliament. Because of this, the other researchers were effectively silenced by governmental actions. The Marconi Company soon dominated the wireless (radio) scene.

From about 1900 until 1943, there were a large number of patent rights battles in the courts of the United States and Great Britain.

Thus, Tesla was granted U.S. Patent 685,012 for the means of increasing the intensity of electrical oscillations. But in 1904, the US Patent Office reversed its decision and awarded Marconi the patent for radio. Tesla began his fight to re-acquire the radio patent. He died January 1943, at the age of 86. A few months after, the US Supreme Court upheld Tesla's patent number, in effect recognizing him as the inventor of radio.

Little by little, Marconi's patent empire was voided. In fact, Marconi's list of patent fights included almost all of the inventors and pioneers of radio communications. People like deForest, Fleming, and others were in an almost constant fight with Marconi and his company. Because of these lengthy patent battles, the British Government did not wish to aid those fighting against the British-based Marconi Company. Therefore, they insisted that Marconi was the inventor of radio.

In Loomis' case, the patent was issued before Marconi was even born.

It is unfortunate that this misconception is still being taught today. However, as it is with any event in history, invention of a process is seldom the responsibility of only one singular person.

English Electric acquired The Marconi Company in 1946 which complemented its other operations; heavy electrical engineering, aircraft and its railway traction business. In October 2005 the Marconi name and most of the assets were proposed to be bought by the Swedish firm Ericsson. The transaction was completed on January 23, 2006.