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 #:
000154
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:
July 11, 2024
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1 1380 H. N. Marvin, Direct Examination. day that should not have been released until Wednesday. How about it? H. R. R. Written on back : Ml P. P. Co. : This letter from Rand of Salt Lake. It explains itself. Denver, 10/17. BUCK WALTER. By Mr. Kingslby: Q. I show you a letter, dated Canandaigua, N. Y., March 2, 1909, and signed Charles A. Persons, and another letter, dated Canandaigua, N. Y., March 5, 1909, signed Charles A. Persons, and ask you if you received these two letters? A. I did. Mr. Kingsley: I offer those letters in evidence. Mr. Grosvenob: Same objections. Defendants' Exhibit No. 67. Canandaigua, N. Y., 3/2/1909. Motion Picture Patents Co., Gentlemen : I received from you yesterday notification that the License for the term from Mar. 8th to Apr. 1st would still be |2.00 per week, now in regard to this I wish to say that I think I for one am being discriminated against for this reason, at the Happy House Theatre which has just changed hands being now run by a Mr. Collins they have a seating capacity of GOO people. I have a seating capacity of 101. Yet I am compelled to pay just as much as they are. another thing under the new management who is I understand a relative of Mr. Powers of the talking Machine Co. of Rochester he is running 4 Reels of practically new pictures and 3 songs to each show changing pictures and songs every day. in this way using 24 Reels of pictures every week in this way compelling me to run either 1st or 2nd run pictures or else run the same pictures which they have just shown, and you can readily figure out with them running 24 Reels a week I have no look in at all. unless