In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants (1913)

Record Details:

Title:
In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants
Date:
1913
Publisher:
New York, Appeal Printing Co.
Volume:
In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants : record volume 2
Leaf #:
000615
Language:
English
Collection:
Early Cinema and Government & Law
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
The Museum of Modern Art Library, New York
Sponsor:
Media History Digital Library
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
These seven volumes contain the testimonies and supporting documents from the U.S. District Court's antitrust lawsuit against the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). Formed in 1908, the MPPC (sometimes referred to asœ"the Edison Trust" or just "the Trust") sought to control the American film industry through pooling patents and demanding that producers and exhibitors acquire licenses to those patents. Independent producers and exhibitors, who refused to license the patents, argued that the MPPC was an unlawful monopoly. In 1912 and 1913, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania heard testimonies from both MPPC members, such as Siegmund Lubin, and "Independents" who later became Hollywood moguls, such as William Fox. Ultimately, in 1915, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which found the MPPC in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and spelled the end for the already weakening MPPC. -- Eric Hoyt, 2012
Date Added:
September 21, 2023
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J. C. Graham, Direct Examination. 1233 We opened our new Exchange on Monday, July 25th and our success has been instantaneous. Every exhibitor we have come in contact with up to this time has Avelcomed us most heartily. We have been greatly impressed with our enthusiastic reception. We are pleased to state that we have at this writing secured contracts for over fifty per cent, of the business in this territory. We want more, want eightyfive per cent, of the business and such exhibitors as have not arranged with us for service, we earnestly request their patronage. We are buying fifty-two reels per week of new subjects at present and will increase our buying as the demands of the exhibitors may justify. We are giving the exhibitors a satisfactory service and expect to continue to do so. We want your business, and we earnestly hope you will come in and arrange for service, at once. For references as to the quality of our service, and as to our straightforward business methods, we refer you to some of the following leading exhibitors in St. Louis: Wm. Sievers, Manager Grand Central Theatre. Frank Talbot, Manager Lyceum Theatre. (Mr. Talbot is associated in business with Mr. O. T. Crawford, why is he using our service? Ask him.) Mr. Werner, President of Independence Amusement Co. Mr. Pipe, of the Delmar Theatre. Fisher & Sippy, of the North Grand Theatre. Heib & Kiely, and others too numerous to mention. Do not permit yourself to be misled by the many false reports being circulated by unscrupulous people and remember we are the only licensed Exchange in St. Louis, and as long as we can give a satisfactory service to exhibitors in this territory, we will be the only licensed Exchange permitted to do business here. Yours very truly, YALE FILM EXCHANGE CO. A. D. Flintom, Sec'y. and Treas. ADF/LDT