[D8627ZAM], Letter from Charles T Porter to John Canfield Tomlinson, November 28th, 1886
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Title
[D8627ZAM], Letter from Charles T Porter to John Canfield Tomlinson, November 28th, 1886
Editor's Notes
I return the draft agreement with a number of alterations. As altered, I believe it conforms to the agreement between TAE and myself. I will specify the alterations made. [Letter then spells out alterations, the important ones summarized here.] ##1 The Co. is not to "own" the inventions. ##2 The Co. is not to authorize other parties to make the engines. ##3 The Co. is only licensed under U.S. Patents and cannot send engines to other countries. ##4 The 1st inst was agreed on as the day to begin. We are both obligated for 3 years [this section marked as "not agreed"]. ##5 The Co. has the free election, after trial, to go on or not. It must be fully satisfied with the engine in all respects. ##7 The fourth clause needs to be changed, as I have done. The Co. cannot discharge me. No such idea was suggested by TAE. It is an essential condition of the license, without which I would never think of giving it, that the engines and system of manufacture must not only be planned by me, but the manufacture itself must be carried on under my superintendence and inspection. [Discusses this requirement further, including a theory that if the power to discharge were there, the temptation to use it would be too strong and cabals would be formed.] ##9 The [----] in which the 5% royalty is to be computed was settled by TAE and myself precisely as I have made the clause to read by my alterations. I never heard before of a syndicate or corp. intermediate between the makers and users of the engines and must decline any such modification. [Porter also indicates that he added provisions allowing for inspection of books and agains avoidable Sunday work.]
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1886-11-28
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8627-F
Microfilm ID
79:577
Document ID
D8627ZAM
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University