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 #:
000284
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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262 Minutes, General Film Co. 1 Mr. Caldwell : Was that the meeting of the 25th of May? Mr. Grosvenor: Yes. Mr. Caldwell : And what you have read was all at the same meeting? Q. The minutes then refer to a special meeting on June 14, at which no quorum was present, and the meeting adjourned and then another meeting in the afternoon of the same day and the meeting adjourned, there being no quorum and then another meeting on June the 22nd, and that ad^ journed without a quorum, and then a meeting on June the 23rd at which were present Messrs. Kennedy, Berst, Long, Lubin, Melies, Selig, Spoor, and Pelzer, Secretary. Then at page 10 of the minutes, for that day (June 23rd), appears this statement : "The Chairman of the Executive Committee reported the purchase of the following licensed motion picture exchanges. " Now, the names of the exchanges are not given but there is a statement in pencil "Insert Mr. Kennedy's list." Can you obtain that list? A. I believe you already have that list. Can you obtain that list? A. I believe you already have 8 that list Q. We have a list of the total exchanges purchased but I am asking you to give me a list of the exchanges purchased by June the 23rd, 1910, that is, within a month after the General Film Company began doing business? A. I have no such list. Q. You do not remember how many were purchased at that date? A. I can't recall now. Mr. Grosvenor : I will ask the examiner to copy from the minute book beginning at page 3 of the minutes for June 23, 1010, being page 11 of the minute book, down to the end of the meeting on page 13. The minutes referred to are marked Petitioner's Exhibit Xo. 79, and are as follows: Petitioner's Exhibit Xo. 79. The Chairman suggested the following rule of procedure at all meetings of the Directors: In the discussion of bnsi