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 00091 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 4
Leaf #:
00091
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 F. Kertsoher, Direct Examination. 1941 Q. How long have you had the two theatres you mention? A. Well, I had the Grand Airdome, upon which the Grand Theatre is located now. That was two years ago. Q. How long have you been renting licensed motion pictures, for exhibition in motion picture theatres? A Ever since I have been in business. Q. From what rental exchanges are you taking motion pictures at the present time? A. General Film Company's People's branch. Q. How long have you been taking motion pictures from the General Film Company's People's branch? A. About three and a half years, or three years. Q. Before that time, from what exchange did you get your motion pictures? A. Mr. Alfred Weiss. Q. How long did you get pictures from Mr. Weiss' exchange? A. About six months. Q. And before that time, had you been getting motion pictures from any other exchange? A. Not before that, but I did after that. Q. Did you have any experience before the formation of the General Film Company, with conflicting programs and repeaters? A. I did. Q. What was your experience in that respect? A. Why. I would run a picture one week, and then, the next week, I got the same picture, sometimes — you mean now, in reference to my competitors? Q. Yes. A. Well, I would advertise the program, and my competitor, he would book it, the result was he would run it a day or two ahead of me, and so he would kill all of my advertising, and I would not receive any benefit from my efforts. Q. Did you find it possible as an exhibitor before the formation of the General Film Company, to advertise a program definitely in advance, and then produce the program you had advertised? A. I did not. Q. You have already told us that you had considerable experience in advertising programs in advance1, only to find that your competitor benefited as the result of your advertising, by obtaining the same pictures? A. Yes, sir, that is right. Q. And showing them ahead of you? A. Yes, sir.