[LB025117], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to George Edward Gouraud, August 20th, 1888

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB025117

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Title

[LB025117], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to George Edward Gouraud, August 20th, 1888

Editor's Notes

Messers Dyer and Seely have referrred to me your letter under date 7th inst. In which you state that you fail to understand the object of your not applying for patents in short tem countries in connection with phonogrpah improvements and stating furthermore that you had made application fior patents countires in the matter of cases 84 and 86.### In reply to this letter I would say that there are several reasons why you should not make such apllication sthe object of which will apppear later on.### The first reasons was contained in the letter date November 23rd 1887 written by Dyer in which he told you that I had asked him to sayto you that I did not wish you you to apply for for these short tem patents.### The second reason you will find in a letter which is doubtless in your files atr the present time written by Mr. Dyer also reiterarting in substance the intructions contained in his letter of the 23rd of November the former being dated 22nd 1888.### The third reason is the various conversations which you had with myself and Mr.. Dyer in this same subject when you were last in America ,and the fourth reason I find embodied in your proposed contract relating to foreign countires the first provision of which reads as follows:Also the said TAE furthermoreagreees that if during the existance if this contract any new or further inventions or improvements are made by him he will furnish to Gouraud such date information and drawings as may be necessary then able the said Gouraud to apply for and obtain Letter Patent in each and same of all said# provided however that the said TAE shall not be called upon tio do anything which will prevent either the obtained of Letters Patent upon such inventions or improvements in the United States or shorter the life of any such patents where obtained### you were sufficently well versed in patent affairs to know what the case of short tem patrents the dates which contacts is the date of application and consequently if you apply for a short term patent before any US patens in the same connection have been issued you therby limit the lives of my US patents and render them valid only so as long as the short term patent is in force.### The matter of case 84 85 you have dsiplayed in the rather selfish disregard for interests of mine which you must have known were of more value to me than the short grants which have obtained on obscure counties. In addition to this you have acted in direct opposition to my expressed wishes and have furthermore violated the first provision of a recorded agreement which you proposed entering into with me### As my instructions to you in this connection were so repeadly not only by letter but orally by myself and through Mr.Dyer and as I also considered the matter of sufficent imnportance to provide for it in my proposed writtten agreement with you it is difficult for me to understand just in what way I can place my views before you or express mt wishes to you so to ensure a prooper recognition of them on your part. I cable you today expresssing briefly my fellings as to your actions in the mater of cases 85 and I understand to express myself in relation to cases 86 and 87 in a way that would admin of but one interpertation.

Mentioned

Date

1888-08-20

Type

Folder/Volume ID

LB025-F

Microfilm ID

138:252

Document ID

LB025117

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
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