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 #:
000466
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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444 Louis Rosenbltjh, Direct Examination. 1 which are the basis of the contract between the Licensed Manufacturers and the Exchanges: I. Prevent Licensed Films from getting into the hands of Exchanges outside of our Association. II. Prevent Sub-renting of Licensed Film. III. Prevent the Rental of Licensed Film Below the Minimum Rental Schedule. 2 NEW YORK AND CHICAGO OFFICES. In order to invite the active co-operation of all the members of the Association, and in order to systematize the manner of handling complaints, collections of accounts, etc., the Executive Committee has divided the United States into two parts. All complaints, collections, etc., from members of the Association from Pittsburg, Pa., and east of that point should be sent to the office of the Secretary in New York. n Within a short time an Executive Committee will open a second office for the Association in Chicago, in charge of an Assistant Secretary, to which office will be referred all complaints, collections, etc., from members west of Pittsburg. By this means the Executive Committee expects to effect a great saving of time and give to members in the West an office near at hand with which they can take up directly all matters in which they are interested. EXHIBITORS USINCx UNLICENSED FILM. 4 All members of the Association will be furnished with information blanks upon which may be reported information 'regarding the exhibition of unlicensed film, and as soon as these blanks are received, members are requested to obtain this information as to cases in their localities. The Edison Manufacturing Company propose to bring suits wherever they find violations of their patents.