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 #:
000407
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:
July 25, 2024
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Alton Tkedick, Direct Examination. 2257 customer, and follow them, we have constant changes, but, having gotten more familiar with the actual wishes of the customer, we have fewer changes. , Q. You say you are not booking your customers on age. On what are you booking them? A. If I made the statement that we were not booking on age, I meant to state that we were not selling our service on age. Q. Do you have such a thing in your territory as firstrun customers and second-run, and so forth? A. We have in Oklahoma City the first-run customer who uses the film for the first time in Oklahoma Territory, or in the territory of our branch. Q. Then first-run in your territory does not necessarily mean, or does not mean, the day of release, but the first time it has been exhibited in your territory; is that right? A. We very often do not show reels on the release date. The fact of the matter is that more often than not, we do not show on the release day. Q. Js that due to the remoteness from the source of supply or to local conditions? A. Local conditions do not seem to require an actual release on the release day. Q. Has there been any great increase in the number of motion picture theatres in your territory within the last few years? A. I am unable to give you any idea of that, as I have only been in the territory since July 2nd. Q. Are there many towns in your territory where licensed service is not given at all? A. There are more towns in the Oklahoma territory that do not use licensed service at all, than I have ever seen. I don't know whether this is a peculiar condition or not. Q. Why is that? A. It seems to be that the opinion of General Film service, in that territory, is not that it is sufficiently superior to make a man believe he absolutely must have it. Q. Can you recall any towns having one or two theatres, supplied with the unlicensed service, where you have undertaken to get into? A. There is Alva, Oklahoma, and Kiowa, Kansas, which is practically right on the line, both using Mutual service, and we have tried in almost every way possible, to secure their business, as they are very desirable customers, but we have been unable to do so.