Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1918 [PAGE 670]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

664

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[February 16,

University, and that upon its issue the patentee shall assign the patent to the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois for a nominal consideration. 4. That the Board of Trustees administer the rights under the patents in ways to suit the conditions, dedicating the patent to the public or licensing its use. In case of license, the license shall be made with provisions for the use of the patent, which will safeguard the public during the life of the patent from- unreasonable restrictions or exorbitant royalties for the use of later patents that may depend upon a University patent for their usefulness. 5. That in the event any sum above a nominal royalty is received by the University for the use of the patent, a proper share of it shall be paid to the patentee. 6. That in the case of cooperative investigations, special agreements for preferential licensing may be made with the cooperating interests, with a view to compensating for the assistance rendered in the investigation. 7. That the action herein proposed shall not be construed to include questions of ownership in copyrights on books, or of inventions or discoveries made by members of the teaching or scientific staffs outside of their regular duties and at their own expense

On motion of Mr. Trimble, the recommendation of the Executive Staff of the Engineering Experiment Station was approved, with the understanding that in case the University declines to bear the expense connected with taking out a patent, the discoverer or inventor may be entitled to take out the patent and control it himself. INVENTION BY PROFESSOR KUNZ

(16) A communication from the Dean of the College of Engineering concerning an improvement of the photo-electric cell made by Dr. Jakob Kunz, Professor of Mathematical Physics. November 27^ I 9 I 7 President Edmund J. James, University of Illinois

MY DEAR PRESIDENT JAMES:

A few years ago Dr. Jakob Kunz, Professor of Mathematical Physics, perfected a type of photo-electric cell possessing remarkable {qualities in comparison with similar devices which had been previously investigated, Dr. Kunz's discoveries n this connection have been described in scientific papers, and early in the summer the attention of a commercial concern in Chicago was directed to this invention. This -firm seemed to see the possibility of applying cells of this type to some apparatus which they are perfecting, but they dislike to undertake the manufacture of the cell without proper authority from its inventor, and some kind of protection which would guard them against any irresponsible person who might attempt to secure control of the discovery by taking out a patent. The matter was presented to Dr. Kunz, and he discussed it with Professor Carman and me. I called Dr. Kunz's attention to the fact that the