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 #:
000347
Language:
English
Collection:
Early Cinema and Government & Law
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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William Pelzer, Direct Examination. 325 ment in the record that the cross examination of 1 Mr. Harry N. Marvin was waived. Mr. Willis: Yes; that may be noted. Thereupon, WILLIAM PELZER, previously sworn, resumed the stand for further examination : Direct examination (continued) by Mr. Grosvenor: Q. Mr. Pelzer, when you were last on the stand you were requested to produce certain papers and statements. Will you now give to me, stating on the record, what you 2 have produced? A. I produce first, a list of exchanges, from whom purchases were made up to June 23rd, 1910. The witness produces this list in response to the request of counsel for the Government at page 262 of the record. The Witness : This is a list of exchanges referred to in the minutes, as I understand; it is not the identical list, but a list made from the book. The list referred to in the minutes I could not find. The list headed "List of Exchanges from Whom 3 Purchases Were Made up to June 23rd, 1910," and marked "A" is as follows: LIST OF EXCHANGES FROM WHOM PURCHASES WERE MADE UP TO JUNE 23, 1910. Date Taken Possession Of. Name of Exchange Place June 6, 1910 Lubin Film Service Co., Philadelphia, Pa. June 6, 1910 Kleine Optical Company, New York City. June 6, 1910 Kleine Optical Company, Chicago, 111. June 13, 1910 Howard Moving Picture Co., Boston, Mass June 13, 1910 Kleine Optical Company, Boston, Mass. By Mr. Grosvenor: Q. What have you next? A. I next produce a state