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 #:
000438
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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11G Agreement, Patents & Gatjmont Coo. (2) that the exhibitor shall not make or permit others to make any reproductions commonly known as a "dupe" of such positive "talking motion pictures" or any other positive motion picture containing the invention of said reissued Letters Patent No. 12,192; and (3) that the exhibitor shall not sell or sub-lease or otherwise dispose of such "talking motion picture"; and (4) that the exhibitor shall not remove the trademark or tradename or title from such positive "talking motion picture." The Licensee further covenants and agrees that it will not lease any "talking motion pictures" to any exhibitor unless each motion picture projecting machine on which motion pictures are used by such exhibitor is regularly licensed by the Licensor and the license fees therefor are paid ; and that the Licensee shall before supplying such exhibitor with "talking motion pictures" mail to the Licensor at its office in New York City, a notice, giving the name of the exhibitor, the name and location of the place of exhibition (and, if requested to do so by the Licensor, its seating capacity, hours of exhibition and price of admission, and the number and make of the licensed projecting machine or machines), together with the date of commencement of the said leasing of "talking motion pictures'' all in a form approved by the Licensor. The Licensee, when properly notified by the Licensor that the License fees of any exhibitor for any projecting machine have not been paid and that the license for such projecting machine is terminated, shall immediately cease to supply such exhibitor with "talking motion pictures". The Licensee further covenants and agrees not to use "talking motion pictures" of its manufacture or importation in any theatre or place of exhibition owned or leased or controlled in whole or in part by it, with the exception however, that the Licensee shall be at liberty to give exhibitions of such "talking motion pictures" without profit directly or indirectly and to possible or prospective lessees thereof. 16. The Licensee further covenants and agrees not to knowingly allow "talking motion pictures" manufactured or imported by the Licensee under this agreement to be used or leased for use with any exhibiting or projecting machines not licensed by the Licensor under Letters Patent owned or