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 000590 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 #:
000590
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:
September 12, 2024
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2440 Samuel H. Shirley, Redirect Examination. ing to the age of the film and not according to the name of the maker? A. Yes, sir. Q. And you pay the same for all the reels, according to their length, and irrespective of the make? A. As far as I know. Re-examination by Mr. Caldwell: Q. You stated in your direct examination that in the territory which you serve there are about eleven customers that are served from the Philadelphia branch of the General Film Company? A. Yes, sir. Q. Now, do you know how many theatres in that territory are served by the Buffalo branch of the General Film Company? A. One is all I can recall. Q. If there are any others, would you be apt to know it? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do you keep a close watch on all the theatres in your territory? A. Yes, sir; try to. Q. Do you know whether the Greater New York Film Rental Company is serving any customers in that territory? A. They are, sir. Q. How many? A. I don't know. Q. Could you state the maximum number? A. I should judge, half a dozen. Q. Now, when you stated that you estimated the number of customers served by the Universal at sixty, and the number served by the Mutual at thirty, on what did you base that estimate? A. By taking the thirteen counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, and taking the towns from fifteen hundred and up, and from memory, myself and my road man picking out the houses that are there that are not using the licensed service. Q. Is that a minimum estimate, that is to say, as a result of your investigation of your records and these reports, were you satisfied that there were at least sixty Universal customers and thirty Mutual? A. Yes, sir. Q. That is a minimum estimate? A. Yes, sir. Q. Does your road agent make a practice of reporting all the theatres in the cities and towns that he visits? A. No, sir. Q. Does he cover the territory pretty thoroughly? A. He visits all of the towns.