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 #:
000445
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:
June 13, 2024
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Joseph Hopp, Dihect Examination. 1063 our sincere thanks for your very courteous offer, * which we are unable to take up at this time. Yous very truly, GENERAL FILM COMPANY, P. L. Waters, PLW/C General Manager." Our action was prompted by the fact that those interested in the Standard Film Exchange are interested in theatres extensively, and that on September 14, 1909, this Exchange was convicted of maintaining an unauthorized 2 branch exchange through which it sub-rented film and obtained an unfair advantage over other exhibitors and exchanges. It was represented to us that a widow who had no part in the management of this exchange, had nearly all her money invested in it and for this reason we were urged not to cancel its license. These representations induced us to postpone the cancelling of its license, and instead, to require the Exchange to contribute §1,000 toward the cost of obtaining the evidence on which it was convicted, to dismiss and not again 3 employ the manager of its unauthorized office, to close said office, and to require all theatres in which those connected with the Standard Film Exchange had any interest, to obtain service from other exchanges. Exhibitors in the vicinity of Chicago, who have heretofore received service from the Standard Film Exchange, can obtain licensed service from the following exchanges : General Film Company, 85 Dearborn Street, Chicago, 111. General Film Company, 77 South Clark Street, Chicago, 4 111. George K. Spoor Company, 435 North Clark Street, Chicago, 111. H. & H. Film Service, 98 Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, 111. General Film Company, 71 Griswold Street, Detroit, Mich. H. Lieber Company, 24 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Ind.