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 (1914)

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:
1914
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 5
Leaf #:
000210
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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2660 Leland B. Kent, Cross Examination. reasons that made you desirous of selling out, wasn't it? A. Well, could I answer you like this? That I had run a country store for a number of years, and I called my neighbor over and sold out to him. Then I came to Toledo, and started a film exchange, and I ran that these years, and I thought it was a good chance to sell, and I wrote them and offered to sell. I sold the film exchange on the same grounds that I sold the store. Q. The General Film Company, by reason of its size and numerous branches, had an advantage over you in the matter of competition, did it not? A. No, I might say not. Q. Had the General Film Company a branch in Toledo at the time you sold out? A. No, sir. Q. Have they a branch there? A. No, sir. Q. Then the Toledo houses are supplied from what branch of the General Film Company? A. Well, it is divided among Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. Q. When you went to New York, did you see anybody besides Mr. Kennedy? A. I saw Mr. Waters. Q. And he took you in to Mr. Kennedy? A. No, I think I met Mr. Kennedy — I had got to the room before he had, and he came back and introduced himself to me. Q. And did you have any dealings with any one other than Kennedy and Waters? A. No, sir. Q. Did Mr. Kennedy take a paper and show you certain figures and state to you that was what you would be offered? A. No, sir. Q. How did he make his proposition to you? A. Talked it over, and he made me a price. Is that what you mean? Q. And he made you a price? A. Yes, sir. Q. And that is the price you took? A. Yes, sir. Q. And does the General Film Company owe you something today on that purchase? A. Yes, sir. Q. How much of the f 30,000 is still due you? A. Well, there is still due me in money that they promised to pay me, about one-third. Q. You still have about ten thousand dollars coming to you? A. I have. Stock. And about one-third of the cash price is coming to me. Q. You took |8,000 preferred stock, and $23,980.81 cash; so that you have about $8,000 in cash still coming to you? A. Nearly that.