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 3
Leaf #:
000152
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 21, 2023
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1378 H. N. M'arvin, Direct Examination continue to do business with you, I understand Mr. Florence has boasted he would turn all his houses into 5 cent shows and thus put me out of business. Please don't look upon this as a comic opera or Bouffe, as I assure you notwithstanding its comic aspect I am serious in all I have written. H. R. R. By Mr. Kingsley : Q. I show you a letter, dated October 28, 1910, on letterhead of Harry R. Rand, and signed Harry R. Rand, and ask you if you received it? A. I did. Mr. Kingsley: I offer it in evidence. Mr. Grosvenor: Same objections. Defendants' Exhibit No. 65. Letterhead of HARRY R. RAND. Motion Picture Patents Co., 80 Fifth Ave., N. Y. City, N. Y. Gentlemen : On my return from the West some two or three weeks ago, I was informed that the Florence theatres had been running films before the release day. My information came from one of the operators at the said shows. Not taking any stock in his remarks, I made inquiries from Mr. Hatch, of The La Vista Theatre, who informed me certain reels had been run at The Isis or Luna before release day. I reported this to Mr. Buckwalter of Denver, he forwarding same to you. On receipt of your letter of the 22nd inst., I made investigation regarding the matter, but everyone I asked about the pictures seemed to have forgotten or did not know anything about them. I called on Mr. Hatch and told him I would like to get the information regarding the matter, as I had made a wager on the information that had been handed me on my return. Today he brought me the enclosed slip, telling me this was one of the reels run and the date it was run. I think there was another