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 #:
000503
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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William H. Swanson, Cross Examination. 181 me — well, I won't controvert the matter with you — I didn't sign any of the bulletins. Q. Of course the bulletins were printed and signed with the names, were they not? A. Exactly. Q. And of course your name would appear there in print, if your name would appear at all? A. I presume it would. Q. Now, do you mean to say that they were signed with your approval? A. That was taken for granted, I was fully in accord with it. Q. Do you know whether or not any bulletins were sent out to the various exchanges prior to this meeting which you say was on the 11th of January, 1909, informing the exchange membership of the proposed licenses, or change in the old license agreement, that such information appeared in bulletins over your name? Do you know that fact or not? A. I do not recall the fact if it occurred, although T won't say that it did not. However, I would state that I have no knowledge of ever seeing a bulletin of any character — I have no recollection of ever seeing a bulletin with my name on it, is what I mean to say. They were usually signed "Dwight MacDonald, Secretary Film Service Association. " Mr. Grosvbnor: I put a number of those bulletins in evidence this morning in connection with the testimony of Mr. Rosenbluh. I put quite a number of the bulletins of the Film Service Association in evidence during the testimony of Mr. Rosenbluh. Mr. Willis: Yes, that may be quite true, but these bulletins were issued by an association of which he was Chairman a part of the time, and a part of the time, but not all of the time, a member of the Executive Committee: By Mr. WrLLis: Q. Do yon remember of receiving a bulletin prior *<> this meeting of January, 1909? A. I don't remember. Q. With such information as T have described, whether over your name or otherwise? A. I don't remember the exact bulletin describing that eirenmstance, but I am perfectly satisfied in my mind that there was a bulletin of some character distributed among the exchanges notifying them that this meeting was to occur, but as to whether