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)

Page scan 000414 from 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 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 #:
000414
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:
September 12, 2024
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392 William Pelzer, Direct Examination. say ; I don't know the size of that specific book ; I would have to look at it. Q. Now what I want is that you bring the book or books containing those accounts, the summaries, or reports, whatever you call them, that are made up in the manner you have described, every four or five weeks, and which are based upon the forty or fifty weekly reports that come in from the exchanges— you understand what I want? A. I think I do — I think I am not sure — I would like to know if you can tell me just what you want me to bring — I might, so far as I can see, produce quite a number of books. Q. That will be for you to determine. If there is quite a number of books, please bring them. I want the books containing those summaries made up from the weekly reports of the forty or fifty branch exchanges? A. I will do the best I can. Q. How about those payments made to the manufacturers? Have you found out about them? A. The statements are being prepared. Q. Can you bring those tomorrow morning, or this afternoon? A. Tomorrow morning, I think. Q. I wish you would bring also tomorrow morning all agreements between the General Film Company and the different manufacturers which have been entered into at any time since the General Film Company commenced doing business; also, all agreements between the General Film Company and the Kinetograph Company, and all agreements between the General Film Company and the Patents Company, and in producing the latter you can act as the Treasurer of the General Film Company and as the Secretary of the Patents Company botli ; and all agreements between the Kinetograph Company and the Patents Company, and all agreements between the Patents Company and the Eastman Company? A. I believe I handed to you, Mr. Grosvenor, all agreements between the licensed manufacturers and the General Film Company, and the agreement between the General Film Company and the Motion Picture Patents Company, a year ago. Q. Yes, I have some of those. Now, I wish you would look for others, because your answer says there are a lot of others. I wish you would produce the others, and I will have those you gave me here tomorrow morning? A. There