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 #:
000133
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. Ill the following two rules, and service from a licensed rental exchange may only be obtained by such applicants upon the conditions set forth below: (1) If Motion Pictures have NOT been shown in the theatre within four months prior to date of application, service must be refused until the rental exchange has received notice from the Patents Company that a license has been granted. In this case $10 must accompany the application, which, if the license is granted, applies on the royalties of the theatre from the date service begins. Where the application is refused, the $10 fee is returned. (2) If Motion Pictures have been shown in the theatre four months prior to date of application, the Patents Company must receive a signed and dated application for license together with a fee of $10 to cover the license fee for the first five weeks from the date of the application. The rental exchange may supply service in such cases from the date the application is mailed to the Patents Company. These applications will be acted upon by the Patents Company as rapidly as possible. If a license is issued the $10 applies upon the royalties of the theatre from the date service began. If the application is refused, the entire fee will be returned, and the rental exchange notified to discontinue service. Petitioner' s Exhibit No. 46. Exhibitors' Bulletin — No. 4. MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY 80 Fifth Avenue New York City April 7, 1909. EXHIBITORS' ROYALTIES. To facilitate the collection of exhibitors rovalties and