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)

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Frp:d C. Aiken, Direct Examination. 2335 were all in favor of it, practically all of them. I never heard any objection at all. Q. Prior to 1908, was it the common practice for two exchanges to be serving the same customer at the same time? A. Yes, sir. Q. It was clone to a considerable extent? A. It was. In our territory. Q. Was that practice objectionable, or not? A. It was. Q. In what respects and why? A. Well, it was injustice to the exhibitor in the first place. Our exchange may book a certain film, or subject, or program to its customers, for a certain day, and the eonrpetitor of that customer would ascertain that fact, and go to some other exchange to secure that film before our customer, or vice versa, at any cost; in other words, an exhibitor could not advertise the program, in fact, they guarded their program. Did not want anybody to knoAv what they were going to have the next day, for fear that other exhibitors would arrange to secure the same program for that night. Q. Was a licensed exchange at liberty to get its customers wherever it could find them, in 1909 and 1910? A. Yes. sir. Q. You were not circumscribed to any particular territory? A. No, sir. Q. Although your license would be given for a particular place? A. Yes, sir. Q. During the year 1908, do you know whether or not there was competition between the so-called Edison licensed manufacturers and importers? A. There was. Q. In what ways did they compete? A. They naturally were competing as to quality and subjects, because it was the better quality and subjects of films that would sell the largest. And they also made it a practice of having solicitors. Q. Did many of those solicitors come to you personally and solicit your business? A. They did. Q. Was that frequent? A. Yes, sir. Q. In what other ways did you observe the competition? A. Well, I don't know of any other particular way that 1 could observe the competition. They naturally were trying to make films so as to outsell their competitor. Q. Do you know whether or not at that time they sent