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 #:
000132
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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110 Bulletins to Exhibitors. 1 Oriental Vaudeville Co., J. Kohler, 71st and Woodland Ave. Pittsburg, Pa. : Crystal Theatre, Samuel McKim, 860 Braddock Avenue. Wonderland Theatre, William Irwin, 873 Braddock Avenue. Happyland Theatre, L. P. Saul, 720 East Ohio Street. Chicago, 111. : ^ Robinson & Normal, 462 Lincoln Avenue. Chris. Rolandson, 427 Milwaukee Avenue. In each of the above cases, the theatre was found to be showing licensed film, which film was seized by the Manufacturers to whom it belonged. The Licensed Manufacturers are taking action in every case where unlicensed theatres are using their film, and such cases are being vigorously pushed. The Patents Company insists upon the strict observance of the conditions under which film is issued, and no theatre not being licensed will be permitted to use licensed film. RELEASE DAY. The Patents Company has determined to impose a penalty of not less than $100, or the revocation of the license of any exchange for violation of the Release Day Rule. This rule provides that no licensed film shall be shown, handled or forwarded by a licensed exchange receiving it until 8 A. M. of the day upon which the film is A released bv the manufacturer. All licensed exhibitors should 4 report promptly to the Patents Company any instance where they discover licensed film shown in advance of the proper day, or at a point to which it could not have been sent unless it had been started forward prior to Release Day. APPLICATION FOR LICENSES. From the date of this announcement, all applications for licenses from unlicensed theatres will be governed by