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 #:
000134
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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112 Bulletins to Exhibitors. for the convenience of exhibitors and rental Exchanges, this Company after consulting many prominent exhibitors and rental Exchanges, has concluded to carry into effect its original intention to make the rental Exchanges its agents to receive exhibitors' royalties. On and after Monday, May 3, 1909, the royalty of each exhibitor will be payable weekly in advance to the rental Exchange from which the exhibitor receives service. The rental Exchange will forward the royalties to this Company and this Company will promptly mail receipts for royalties to the exhibitors. MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY. Petitioner's Exhibit No. 47. Exhibitors' Bulletin— No. 5. MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY 80 Fifth Avenue 3 New York City September 15, 1909. The attention of exhibitors is called to that rule of this Company which forbids the use of unlicensed film on licensed projecting machines. Licensed exhibitors are permitted to use only film that is made or imported by licensed manufacturers or importers and leased by licensed exchanges, and a few specially licensed films such as the film of the Johnson-Burns 4 fight. This rule prohibits the use of special pictures such as those of parades, conventions or other current events or local scenes, if made by unlicensed manufacturers. This notice is given to prevent any honest misunderstanding on the part of exhibitors, and hereafter no excuse for failure to comply with the rule will be accepted. If any exhibitor is in doubt as to whether any picture is licensed or not, he should comunicate with this office before using it. The licenses of the following theatres have been can