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 000423 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 #:
000423
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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AGREEMENT^ PATENTS & GAU.MONT COS. 401 Gaumont, lias, by an agreement in writing, dated Septem 1 ber 23, 1908, appointed George Kleine, of Chicago, Illinois, its sole agent for the importation into the United States, of motion pictures of its manufacture, except ''talking motion pictures" ; and (g) WHEREAS, the Licensor has by an agreement in writing, dated December 18, 1908, licensed the said George Kleine to import motion pictures manufactured by the said Societe des Etablissements Gaumont, under certain terms and conditions, one of which conditions is, that if the said Societe des Etablissements Gaumont shall import or shall 2 knowingly permit or knowingly be a party to the importation of motion pictures by others than the said George Kleine, without the Licensor's knowledge and consent, or shall manufacture motion pictures in the United States without the Licensor's consent, then the license to the said Kleine, so far as it extends to the importation of motion pictures manufactured by the said Societe des Etablissements Gaumont, shall be terminated and cancelled, upon due notice. (h) NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, for and 3 in consideration of the sum of one dollar to each in hand paid by the other, and for other good and valuable considerations from each to the other moving, receipt of all of which is hereby acknowledged, have agreed as follows : 1. The Licensor hereby grants to the Licensee for the term and subject to the covenants, conditions and stipulations hereinafter expressed, the right and license under said reissued Letters Patent Xo. 12,037 and Letters Patent Nos. 029,063 and 707,931 for the United States, its territories, dependencies and possessions (hereinafter called the "ter * ritory aforesaid") to manufacture and use such a number of cameras embodying the inventions of said reissued Letters Patent No. 12,037 and Letters Patent Nos. 629,003 and 707,934, as may be necessary for the proper conduct of the Licensee's business in the manufacture of "talking motion pictures'' and to manufacture, print and produce positive "talking motion pictures" embodying the inventions of said reissued Letters Patent No. 12,192, and to import positive and negative "talking motion pictures" made by the said