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 #:
000281
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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Thomas A. Brown, Cross Examination. 2731 ness, and just bring your attention to bear on it. Does the number of reels that you get from each of the manufacturers vary from week to week or will you get exactly the same number of reels from eacli manufacturer each week? A. As near as I could answer that question, I would say they don't vary to any great extent. Q. Do they vary to some extent? A. Naturally, because in the case of late trains or films missing out. Q. If they do vary, is there any difference in the price you pay? A. Of course, if the regular stuff is late, and we have to run what we call emergency stuff, why, they certainly, at the end of the week, if there is an allowance coming to us, we attempt to have that allowance made always, if the reels are not as good as the contract is understood they would furnish. Q. Were you using an Edison machine when the Patents Company was formed? A. That was in 1908, wasn't it? Q. Yes. A. Using a Powers machine, if I remember correctly. Q. Had you bought that outright? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you begin to pay a two dollar a week royalty afterwards? A. Now, I will have to recall it first. For a certain time, only a few — as near as I can remember, two or three months, I remitted direct to New York, if I remember correctly. After that time we went to Crawford. They said they would not say anything about the two dollars a week, and they would take care of it for us. And I did not know anything about it since, but I understood it was paid, and they sent us receipts for weeks for that. Whereupon, at 12 :30 P. M., the hearings are adjourned until 2 o'clock of the same day at the same place. 4