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 1
Leaf #:
00042
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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20 Harry N. Marvin, Direct Examination. repealed. It is also further mutually covenanted and agreed that, upon the termination of this agreement for any of the foregoing causes, or any other cause, all of the right, title and interest in and to the said United States Letters Patent Nos. 673,329; 744,251; 770,937; 771,280, 785,205 and 785,237, shall be reassigned by the Patents Company to the Vitagraph Company for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar ($1.00). IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have caused this agreement to be executed by their officers duly authorized to perform these acts, the day and year first above written. MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY By Frank L. Dyer, President. Attest : George F. Scull, Secretary. Motion Picture Patents Company Incorporated September 9, 1908, New Jersey. THE VITAGRAPH COMPANY OF AMERICA By William T. Rock, President. Attest : J. Stuart Blackton, Secretary. Vitagraph Company of America Incorporated By Mr. Grosvenor: Q. Now, Mr. Marvin, what was done at this second meeting on December 18, 1908, at which these other eight or nine license agreements were signed, being the license agreements under the patents transferred to the Patents Company at the earlier meeting on that same date? A. At that meeting the license agreements, or agreement form, was read and approved, and signed by the licensees.