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 000458 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 #:
000458
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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2308 Joseph P. Morgan, Direct Examination. Q. During the six years you have been in the motion picture exhibiting business in Washington, from what exchanges have you secured motion pictures? A. At first, from the Imperial Film Exchange. Then from the Moore Film Exchange. Then from the Washington Film Exchange, and then, before the Washington, from the General Film Company, and then the Washington Film Exchange, and then back to the General Film Company again. Q. And did the Washington Film Exchange deal in licensed or unlicensed pictures? A. The unlicensed. Q. Was Moore's Film Exchange the successor to the Imperial Film Exchange in Washington? A. It Avas, yes, sir. Q. Did the General Film Company succeed Moore? A. Yes, sir. Q. Now, after Mr. Moore sold his motion picture business to the General Film Company, and after the General Film Company had taken over his exchange, what did Mr. Moore do? A. Why, he exhibited pictures. He is still an exhibitor. Q. Is he still in the motion picture business? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did he deal in films after he sold his exchange? A. Really, I do not know. Q. Mr. Morgan, do you secure a definite program in advance for your theatre? A. Yes, sir. Q. Are you able to pick out your program some days, or even a week or ten days in advance? A. I arrange that by looking over the nature or character of the releases in advance. The companies have their stuff regulated into, say, a certain day's release of comedies, and on other days. Westerns, and on other days, dramas, and I try to arrange my schedule so I will get a variety every day, if possible. Q. Do you succeed in doing that? A. Yes, sir, very much. Q. About how many days are you able to select your program in advance? A. It is not selected. It is booked in advance. I can get it for three or four weeks, I should judge. Q. For how long do you get it in advance? A. Probably I get it a week in advance. Q. So that, if you wish to, you are able to advertise a program a week or ten days in advance? A. Yes, sir.