It always seems to get deployed as a "The West are the only true innovators" and ignored if its like... The Islamic golden age or whatever. Also like some Arabian merchant couldn't have seen a steam train and gone "Oh, that's a good idea", it required colonialism to get ideas like plumbing etc. all over the world.
Bleh
Watt actually had to do a weird goofy gear arrangement (sun and planet) because the normal obvious crank was already patented too.