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 000131 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 2
Leaf #:
000131
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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William H. Swanson, Cross Examination. 749 Q. When you say $95, do you mean that was the price it was sold to you as a dealer? A. No, that was the list price. The $155 outfit, if I recall right, was equipped to meet some new regulations just going into vogue, of fire magazines, and take-up devices, and so forth. Q. At any rate, the requirements of the new regulations which had been adopted by the Fire Underwriters here and there had been met? A. They made an endeavor to meet them, yes, sir. Q. And that of course raised the price of the machine somewhat? A. The price of the machine, as a complete machine, was $95, but with these additional equipments, would raise it to $155. Q. In making a model of that sort which meets the requirements of fire underwriters, they try to meet the requirements of the most exacting of them, do they not, and therefore, do business in all cities? A. I presume that is their intention. Q. Do you know the price of the Edison Exhibition Model to-day? A. I do not think they have an exhibition model on the market. Q. That is, you don't know the price at present? A. I think the only machine they have is the Model B. Q. What is the price of that? A. It is $225 list. Q. What is the price to dealers? A. Twenty and fifteen off. Q. Does that mean thirty-five? A. No, sir. Q. Oh, I see what you mean. Twenty first and fifteen after? A. Yes, sir. Q. I want to go back to the latter part of 1907 and the first part of 1908. How long a period did it take you to make this $600,000? A. About fourteen months. Q. That is, you made a little less than $50,000 a month? A. Yes, sir. Q. What were you doing at that time? What was your business? A. Renting film and operating theatres. Q. How many theatres were you operating? A. 1 cannot recall exactly. There was quite a number of them. Q. How many exhibitors were you serving at that time? A. I don't remember the branches, the Chicago office — Q. (interrupting) : Was that at the time that your bookkeeping was being changed? Was that the time you had