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 #:
000312
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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27G2 Floyd Brown, Cross Examination. A. I have attempted to show the theatres supplied in our territory. Q. By whom? A. Oh, just strike that out. I have attempted to show the theatres supplied by the General Film Company by the various branches. Q. This memorandum shows in Richmond that there are five theatres, two supplied by you, one by the Mutual, and two by the Universal. On direct examination you stated that you supply only one theatre in Richmond. Have you lost a theatre since this memorandum was prepared? A. Yes, sir. Q. Have you gained any theatre there? A. Yes, sir. Q. Among the theatres that you supply in your territory it is true, is it not, that there are many theatres of the size named by you, or given by you on your direct examination when referring to some of the independent theatres when you stated their capacities? A. Yes, sir. Q. That is, you named in response to Mr. Kingsley's question some of the large theatres of the independents in your territory? A. Yes, sir. Q. You have many theatres of that size? A. We have a number of them, yes, sir. Q. In leasing pictures to your exhibitors, or customers, you charge your customers according to the age of the several films, and not according to the make or the name of the manufacturer? A. Yes, sir. Q. So that for all films of a certain age you charge the same for whether they are made by Edison, Essanay, Selig, Biograph, etc.? A. Yes, sir. Q. And your office pays for those several films per foot? A. Yes, sir. Well, as the films are paid for by the New York office, I can't say as to that. Q. Don't you make reports to the home office as to how much you obtain for them? A. Yes, sir. Q. And you make those reports showing the number of feet obtained from each manufacturer? A. Yes, sir. Q. And what is your opinion as to the method of payment? Is it not governed by the amount of feet that you buy from each of the manufacturers? A. I presume it is, but I don't know. Q. It is your understanding that the rate per foot is the same for each manufacturer? A. I understand that is so. I don't know what price they pay for the film.