Intellectual Property....Re: kVA Effects on Broadway! (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:09:59 -0400
From: Dave Pierson <davep@xxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Intellectual Property....Re: kVA Effects on Broadway! (fwd)

 
>>Tesla died broke and forgotten because he "gave away" his intellectual
>>property.

>	Can't agree with this.
       Could, i think do with some clarification.
       Tesla was (as the patents issued) careful, more so in mid and later years,
       of his 'intellectual property'.  One reason for the existence of The Colorado
       Springs Notes was to aid in establishing paper trail, after earlie rpatent
       losses. 

> Tesla died broke because, like many people, he just let money slip through his fingers
> almost like water.
       Perhaps.  Without having records, which likely no longer exist, Tesla spent,
       likely, a lot on R & D.  Sometimes that pays.  Sometimes not.
       
> What did he "give away" that was worth so much?  He was paid for his polyphase patents.
       Wellllll.

       Various sources are consistent in having part of that payment as a royalty of 
       '$1/HP' for anything Westinghouse built (motors, alternators, transformers),
       under Tesla's patents.  At one point, Westinghouse got into financial hastles,
       (Nationwide financial downturn?) & was in danger of losing Westinghouse, Inc.
       Westinghouse sent someone to renegotiate with Tesla, to reduce expenses.  Tesla
       is quoted as saying, roughly:
           Mr Westinghouse believed in me, when no one else did.  Please
           cancel the payments to me.

       Assuming this occurred, it could count as 'giving away'.  (Pretty sure the incident
       is in Prodigal Genius.)

        best
         dwp