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 #:
000283
Language:
English
Collection:
Early Cinema and Government & Law
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 21, 2023
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George W. Bennethum, Direct Examination. 901 The Witness : In 1911. 1 By Mr. Grosvenoe: Q. You may state whether or not you had observed in the course of the latter part of the year 1912 and throughout the year 1911, a gradual merging of many rental exchanges in the General Film Company, and also the passing out of business of other rental exchanges? A. Yes, sir, I did. Q. Were the licenses of these theatres which you have named, cancelled, on or about November, 1911? A. Yes, sir. Q. I show you a letter dated November 15th, 1911, on the g letterhead of the Motion Picture Patents Company. Please state whether that was a letter received by you on or about the time stated on the letter? (Handing paper to witness.) A. (witness examining paper) : Yes, sir. A copy similar to this was sent to each and every theatre that I was interested in. Mr. Geosvenoe: I offer it in evidence. The paper is marked Petitioner's Exhibit No. 168 and is as follows: 3 Petitioner's Exhibit No. 168. MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY. 80 Fifth Avenue, New York. Nov. 15, 1911. Mr. G. W. Bennethum, Picture Land Theatre, 645 Penn. Street, Reading, Pa. 4 Dear Sir: — You are hereby notified that your license has been cancelled. Yours very truly, MOTION PICTURE PATENTS COMPANY, By J. B. JB/ACL