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 #:
000295
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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Minutes, General Film Co. 273 Mr. Gbosvenor: I offer in evidence the minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the General Film Company of December the 19th, 1910, at pages 21, 22, and 23 of the minutes. The minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the General Film Company of December 19, 1910, are marked Defendant's Exhibit 82, and are as follows : Petitioners Exhibit No. 82. Minutes of a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the General Film Company, held at 80 Fifth Avenue, New York City, December 19, 1910, at 3.00 P. M. Present : Messrs. Kennedy, Berst, Dyer, Kleine, Long, Lubin, Selig, Spoor, and Pelzer, Secretary. Also Messrs. Blackton, Marion, Marvin, Paul Melies, Bock, Scull and Singhi. All the directors present agreed to hold the meeting at 80 Fifth Avenue instead of at 10 Fifth Avenue, and the meeting was called to order and held at 80 Fifth Avenue. Mr. Kennedy reported that since the last meeting, negotiations for the purchase of the following exchanges were closed and the business of said exchanges acquired by this company: S. Nye Bass, New Orleans, La; Imported Film & Supply Co., NewT Orleans, La; Magnetic Film Service Co., Cincinnati, Ohio; Moore's Film Exchange, Washington D. C, and Ohio Film Service, Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Kennedy also made the following report of the extent of the company's business. Percentage of business of the country based on reels released during the week ending September IT, 1910, assuming that none of the business of exchanges which discontinued as licensed exchanges was obtained by General Film Company 78.3 Total number of licensed exchanges when General Film Company commenced business 69 New Exchange at St. Louis 1 70 Exchanges operated by General Film Company 46 Exchanges Licenses cancelled 9 Not operated by General Film Company 15 70