[D8839ACX], Letter from Compagnie Continentale Edison, Louis Rau to Thomas Alva Edison, December 24th, 1888
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Title
[D8839ACX], Letter from Compagnie Continentale Edison, Louis Rau to Thomas Alva Edison, December 24th, 1888
Editor's Notes
"We are in receipt of your esteemed favor dated 24 Ult concerning your two french patents: ### a/ No. 187662 17 Dec 1887/ lamp patent/ ### b/ Set 69 22 Nov 1887/motor/ " [lamp patent]/ ### We note that you say concerning the lamp patent (a) if should in future our technical councils see any necessity for acquiring this patent, we shall not fail to refer to you at once, at the same time we shall be much obliged to you if you will call the attention of the Officers of your Company to the Art IV of our contract of the 6 Nov. 1886 so that same can be more strictly observed in the future in our mutual interest. ### Concerning the second patent which relates to motors, the Art. IV of our Contract of the 5th November 1886 reads as follows: ### "Mr. Edison undertakes to offer to the Cie. Continentale Edison in the countries in which it has the right to work patents, patents of new invetions which he may make relating to Electric Light, to the transmission of motive force if upon the same conditions offered by any other person as Company to grant to the Cie. Continental Edison a delay of fifteen days to delcare whether it accepts that offer or not." ### Now if you will remember, it was understood from the very [unclear] of our French Companies (see even our very first treaty of the 15 Nov. 1881) that the expression "inventions relating to the transmissions of force & to Electric Light" comprises all the inventions which can [unclear] in reference to Electric Light, the transmission of motive powers, invention in one word belonging to the same class as those patents that were made over by you in 1882 to our Company, that is to say, patents for lamps, meteres, regulators, &c., &c., also dynamos & motors. You say yourself that the invention in question is for a generator of motive power, therefore for an invention as narrowly connected as possible with the transmission of motive force, now what we would ask of you is this; with your strong feeling of justice, we are sure you will comply to this request without every hesitating: In te present form we do not believe that the invention in question can yet be practically worked, but should you in some future time make some improvements which would render this invention practical then, according to the Arts IV of above stated contract, you will not give any Company or person in the countries worked by our Company, a license to work that invention without first previously referring to us and giving us a delay of 15 days to declare whether we accept your offer or not. ### We expect your kind reply, hoping that we now fully agree on this subject." We are, dear sir, yours very truly, Louis Rau
Recipient
Date
1888-12-24
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8839-F
Microfilm ID
123:776
Document ID
D8839ACX
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University