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 4
Leaf #:
000251
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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Abraham Greenburg, Direct Examination. 2101 service for your houses? A. From the Philadelphia Exchange. Q. Is that a branch of the General Film Company? A. Yes, sir. Q. How long have you been taking motion pictures from the Philadelphia branch of the General Film Company? A. Since they have been in business. Q. And before that time from what exchange or exchanges did you secure motion pictures? A. I had taken them from the Electric, at one time from Mr. Calehuff, and from the different exchanges. Q. Were those exchanges all situated in Philadelphia? A. Yes, in Philadelphia at that time. Q. At the present time do you have a definite program? A. I have. Q. Are you able to select and advertise this definite program for some days in advance? A. I am. Q. Do you so advertise it? A. I do some. Q. Are you able to produce the program that you advertise on the date designated in the advertisement? A. I have always, so far, except that there is a delay in the express company, or something like that, which could not be avoided. Q. Do you have any difficulty with respect to keeping your program clear? A. Well, I have kept it clear, but we have had an opponent over there called the Greater New York Film Rental Company. Q. Does the Greater New York Film Rental Company have a branch office in Philadelphia? A. Yes, sir. They came into Camden last Spring, and competed against my program, and I overcame that by beating them to it. Q. And by "beating them to it," what do you mean? A. I got the stuff out ahead of them. They advertised the stuff that I advertised, and I had to go to work and get ahead of them. Q. You had to get a different service? A. Yes, sir. Q. And by that you mean that you got earlier runs? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you pay more money for your different service? A. Yes, sir. Q. So that you met the competition by changing your service, and getting earlier runs? A. Yes, sir, in that way.