Tobacco Documents Online

26. THE WALL STREET JOURINAL, Thursday, January 4, 1968 17 , ----- -- •---- ------ I~, Strickmcrn Sccys Fle,ll End Cilo:al-el; Filter Accord Made TT/ith Calu»zhi.cc University A> Sy a wAta, StsesT Jocx.,.c Strtlj, Reporter HILLSDALE„ .i.J.-Inventor Robert L. Stric:;man said lte intends to end the aeree- ment givin; Columbia L'niversity a majority interest' in his controver_ial cigaret filter. 'Mr. Strickman !zaid he's pressing for return of the rights to his filter because Columhia has failed to li'cense its use by cigaret manufactur- ers as originally aareedl The unin-cr: ity w•ouldn'C say' whether it would' fight to preserve the agreement but John Wheeler, beneral counsel for Columhia, told~ the Associated Press:, "ii'e own that filter lGck„ stock andl barrel. Legally, it is 10i1c;r, ours with the purchase price to be paid tarottoh royal- ties." Columbia Presidcnt Grayson Kirk pled-er1 beforee a Senate subcommittee that the univer- sity wouldn't license manufacture of the filter until it had' proven its efficacy in the labora- tory.. In a statement which mixede impatience and sympathy for Columbia's position. Mr. Strick> nta.n said he was notifiezi, by Columbia: re- searcher Gordon Iiay that the filter is at' 1Fast 5017~ bett'er• than conventional filters at rentiov- ing tar and nicotine from, cigaret smoke. . \ir, Kay didn't dcng- \Ir. Strtoicman's claiML DIr.. Strickman also said' his lttwyers are ,about to file a suit against the National Eroad- casting Co, demanding $500 million im damages which, he said, have been cau: ed by an NEC ,news report that the filter is little better than convent'ional' ones. He had said earlier he would sue for $100 0 million. NBC is a subsidiary of Radio Corp. of America. "I wish to spare the unie•ersity„ as much as ,possible, the embarrassment of direct involvet mcnt in the irnpending lawsuit,," he said. While acting to take Columbia out' of a mana;ement role in the'filtet;, Atr. Strickman said he,w•ould set up a trust fund which would direct all of the ttnivcrsity's original share of, profits ft•om filter sales to the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. One of hir.. Strickman's aides said csecu- tives of "every majorr cioarct maker in the world"' have been invited to Germany to see the demonstration of a machine which will pro- duce ready-for-shippiiig ci;;aret, with Strick> man filters at a rate of 2,000 eiaarcts a minute. The machine.;- developedi by Hauui-1Verke of, Hamburg, will be faster than current filter-cig- aret units, according to the aide. "We could be ready for contpanies to mar- ket cigarets with, our filter by blay ofi this year," said the aide. 'Mr.. Strickmxn arlded. "It all depends on how much of a: legal battle we hav.e:" Thn l of a cigarct filior, I;obcrt h: I Str. l ninn, s;ti l he intenda to oixi an a nrent ttlat' , tti•,c Co;hmbin Viuvcr:;ity a tiirrltr-I'', ity r tterrr.t in thr controvet til' filter. ma nC;tic,., n s;rid 1re is prcasin~~ for thr rcturn oC his rnigh:s because Columbia has failed: to ]loence thc filter's u e by cigaret makc•n..,,a; or;~ie tltv a,^,reed. Iie also _2iti his law)'ers tt•ill filt a c;,00i million d ~m;r~e SUiCabainst NEC, wliicll Lro•,d- I, ca5tl a report that the Tilter is little tictvcr thart ` com•cntiona[ ones. I_