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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 (1914)

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:
1914
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 5
Leaf #:
000118
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 21, 2023
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25G8 Fred 0. Aiken, Redirect Examination. Q. Do yon find that exhibitors prefer the pictures of one producer over the pictures of another producer, even when they are of the same age? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do they frequently express such preferences to you? A. They do. Q. And do you endeavor to gratify their prefences? A. We do. Q. Do exhibitors ever object to a certain picture so positively that they prefer a picture in its place from another maker, even though it be an older release? A. Yes, sir. Q. When you refer to the age of a motion picture, what do you mean? A. I mean the number of days since it has been released. Q. By that you mean the number of days that it has been on actual exhibition before various audiences? A. Yes, sir. Q. And in referring to the age of a motion picture, do you refer to the copy, the particular copy, or to the subject which has been on exhibition? A. The subject. Q. If a reel has not been in service at all, though the subject lias been released, does its value diminish as the release age increases? A. Yes, sir. Q. When an exhibitor selects a motion picture at your exchange, or one of the exchanges under your supervision, does he pay any attention to the physical aspect and condition of the reel? A. They do not, as a rule, see the reel at all. Q, When an exhibitor selects a motion picture at your exchange, or at one of the exchanges under your supervision, does lie select the motion pictures he wants by physical examination and inspection of the reels, or by slating the kind of plays he desires, the sort of entertainment he wishes to give, and the type of audiences he must amuse and entertain? A. They usually send in a request list. Or indicate by the number of the film. Q. How long have you been in the motion picture business? A. Since 1903. Q. What was the rule regarding the prices of motion pictures at the time you went into the business? A. Well, at the time I went into the business, there were not any theatres.