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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 #:
000125
Language:
English
Collection:
Government & Law and Early Cinema
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:
May 23, 2024
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Bulletins to Exhibitors. 103 vantages of any licensee. Under the circumstances we can 1 not grant jour request. Yours very truly, MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY. Petitioner's Exhibit No. 42. MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY LICENSE THE MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY of New York, by these presents, hereby grants the right and license to hereinafter referred to as the Licensee, to operate one or more motion picture projecting machines at under Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 578,185, March 2, 1897; 580,749, April 13, 1897; 580,953, July 20, 1897 ; 673,329, April 30, 1901 ; 673,992, May 14, 1901 ; 707, 934, August 26, 1902; and 722,382, March 10, 1903, owned by said Motion Picture Patents Company; subject, however, to the following conditions : (1) Said machines must be used only with licensed motion pictures manufactured or imported by a licensee of the Motion Picture Patents Company under Edison reissued Patent No. 12192, dated January 12, 1904. (2) A weekly royalty to be determined by the Motion Picture Patents Company shall be paid to the said Company by the Licensee for the use of said machines. (3) This license at all times shall be prominently displayed in the place of exhibition of the Licensee, and together with the machines hereby licensed, shall be always open to inspection and examination by any duly accredited agent of the Motion Picture Patents Company.