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 000361 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 #:
000361
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 12, 2024
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Albert J. Gilligham, Direct Examination. 2211 in along by the side of him, and built a larger house, and in a short time Mr. Moore was compelled to quit business. Q. Did you know of many instances of that kind? A. There were a number of instances of that kind, sir, outside of this one. Chicago exchanges would come into the territory, and if the exhibitor would not favor them with their business, they would threaten to put in all films to their competitors ahead of what they were receiving. Mr. Grosvenor: I object to this general statement. The Witness : I can make it specific if you want to. By Mr. Caldwell: Q. Make it specific, if you can. A. There was an exchange out in Chicago, the Standard, came into Battle Creek, and notified a customer there by the name of Lipp & Cross that if they did not take films from them, that they would take the opposition house across the street, and they would put all films into that house ahead of what Lipp & Cross were receiving from our office in Detroit. Q. Do you know who it was that operated this exchange that you speak of, the Standard Exchange? A. A man by the name of Joe Hopp. Q. Who ran the Michigan Supply Company? A. It was run by a man by the name of William Klatt. The Michigan Film & Supply Company was the title of it. Mr. Grosvenor: When was it that it did that? The Witness: When was it that Mr. Klatt went in and built theatres, sir? He made quite a practice of doing it, sir, and it was along in 1910 that he built this theatre out in Grand River Avenue; in fact, it was a general practice with him to threaten exhibitors there if they did not accept service from him; he would go in and build theatres, and, in fact, he really had the exhibitors frightened.