It is not accurate to say that someone stole and patented the idea for vulcanization from Charles Goodyear. Goodyear was an American inventor who is credited with the discovery of the vulcanization process, which is a method of treating rubber to make it more durable and resistant to heat and other environmental factors. Goodyear discovered vulcanization in the early 1840s and received a patent for his process in 1844. After Goodyear's patent expired, other inventors began to develop their own methods for vulcanizing rubber, and many of these methods became widely used in the rubber industry. However, Goodyear is still recognized as the inventor of vulcanization, and his contributions to the field have been honored in various ways, including the naming of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, which was founded in 1898.