Wright Brothers Contract Change - 1910

The attached article was originally published in the April 28, 1910 Indianapolis Star. As reported in another article (published on day earlier, April 27, 1910) that can be found elsewhere on First Super Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Carl Fisher and Speedway Contest Director Ernie Moross traveled to Dayton, Ohio to meet with the Wright Brothers about their entries in the Brickyard's June 1910 aviation show. 
 
The meeting was necessitated by continued negotiations with the Wrights concerning their legal maneuvering to assert their patent rights against any other airplane manufacturers. They had obtained a court injunction against other airplane businesses, complicating not just the efforts of other airplane entrepreneurs but also promoters of events like the one planned by Speedway management. The Wrights wanted to demand licensing fees by other participants in the meet. Fisher and Moross feared this would diminish the field of entries and essentially neuter the appeal of their promotion.
 
Fortunately for the Speedway, the Wrights listened to reason and waived their fees for the upcoming event. The two sides came to terms and the attached article reports on the pertinent language in the edited contract:
 
"The Wright Company hereby licenses this meet and agrees to make no additional, or further charge, for any machines taking part in this meet, which may be infringements on its patents."
 
As reported in March in the Star, Moross closed the deal with the Wrights with a guarantee payment to them of $50,000. In return the Wrights agreed to supply five planes to the IMS event and not compete anywhere else prior to that contest. The also promised to ship at least one of their airplanes to display at the May auto race meet.
 
Fisher reportedly cabled Europe immediately to direct his agent there to purchase a Bleriot or Antoinette plane for delivery before June. He also had arranged purchase of two National Motor Vehicle Company engines for planes being built by his aero partner George Bumbaugh. Joseph Curzon, too, leapt into action. He already had his Farman plane stored at the Speedway aerodrome. He ordered a French Gnome motor for that machine.