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 #:
000162
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 21, 2023
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2612 Harry W. Scherer, Cross Examination. Q. Since the Patents Company was formed in 1908, as I understand your testimony on direct examination, you have shown independent pictures only three months? A. Not since the General Film Company has been in existence. That was before the General Film Company was in existence. Mr. Grosvenor: Kead the question, please. The Examiner repeats the question to the witness, as follows: aQ. Since the Patents Company was formed in 1908, as I understand your testimony on direct examination, you have shown independent pictures only three months? A. Not since the General Film Company has been in existence. That was before the General Film Company was in existence." The Witness : Yes. By Mr. Grosvenor: Q. How did you come to take on the independent pictures for those three months? A. I had an argument with the Calcium Light management as to my advertising a certain picture. I was to run this certain picture exclusively in Johnstown, a Biograph picture. And I advertised that my house was the only one in Johnstown that those Biograph reels could be shown, or the Biograph releases. They objected to me advertising that, and I told them unless I could make that a feature, that I would rather go over to the independent people. Q. Aitd so you did? A. And so I did. Q. And why did you give up the independents three months later? A. I was not doing the business with the independent pictures that I was doing with the trust pictures, or with the — Q. (interrupting) : That is, your trade fell off when you began showing the independent pictures? A. The independent pictures, yes. Q. And therefore, as a result of your experience at that time, you felt it advisable to show the licensed pictures ever since then? A. Yes, sir.