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 2
Leaf #:
00033
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:
June 13, 2024
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William H. Swanson, Cross Examination. 651 Q. I don't know to what degree, only from what you have said? A. Yes, sir. 1 will explain to you, that in the course of a year, I would perhaps sell four or five pianos, and perhaps a dozen photographs, and perhaps in the neighborhood of ten or fifteen thousand dollars worth of carbons and condensers, and tickets and such as that. Q. All those were included — A. (Interrupting) The profits were included in my earnings, yes, sir. Q, In the $100,000? A. Yes, sir. Q. And your furniture and personal property that you have in your theatres, picture theatres, they were all credited to profit and loss, weren't they? A. Well, the theatres that I had, were mostly all, in fact, in 1908, they were all under a lease. I had not any personal property in them. Q. Well, the personal property in there, the fixtures, and things — A. They belonged to the theatres, and were included in the leases themselves. Q. This profit and loss account included your profits on your theatre business? A. Yes, sir. Q. I understand that you are now connected with the Universal Company? A. The Universal Film Manufacturing Company. A. New York corporation. I am the Secretary. Q. A New York corporation, and you are the Secretary, and located, as you described, in New York City, with its principal offices? A. Yes, sir. Q. How long has this Company been in business? A. Since the 25th of May, 1912. Q. Who are its officers? A. Mr. Carl Laemmle is President, Mr. P. A. Powers, Yice-President, Mr. David Horsley, Treasurer, and I am Secretry. Q. Mr. Swanson, what other companies were consolidated in or absorbed by the Universal Film Company? A. The Independent Film Manufacturing Company afterwards— at that time was changing its corporate name to the Imp. The Powers Picture Play Company, the Rex Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, the Champion Film Company and David Horsley. Q. Were the constituent companies which you have named, corporations, firms or individuals? Mr. Grosvenor: I think that term "constituent" is a little misleading. They arc4 not subsidiary com