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 #:
000336
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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2786 Joseph L. Stiebel, Direct Examination. JOSEPH L. STIEBEL, the next witness produced on behalf of the defendants, being of lawful age, duly sworn by the Examiner, deposes as follows : Direct examination by Mr. Kingsley : Q. Where do you live? A. Kansas City, Missouri. Q. How long have you been a resident of that town? A. About 31 years. Q. In what business are you now? A. In the motion picture business. Q. Are you operating a theatre in Kansas City? A. Yes. Q. What is the name, and what is the seating capacity of your theatre? A. I am the manager of the Apollo Theatre, operated by the Apollo Amusement Company. The capacity of it is approximately 800 seats. Q. Are you interested in any other theatre? A. No, sir. Q. How long have you been interested in the Apollo Theatre? A. Almost two years. Q. At what time did you assume the management of it, if you recall? A. I bought the property about two yeai-s ago, and got possession of it ; oh, probably three months after. Q. Have you been operating it ever since? A. Yes, sir. Q. What service, licensed or unlicensed, do you use in the Apollo Theatre? A. I am using the General Film service. Q. That is, service that you get from the General Film Company? A. Yes, sir. Q. From what branch or office do you obtain it? A. From the Kansas City branch. Q. During the time that you have been operating the Apollo Theatre, have you had occasion to familiarize yourself with the prices of independent service and the prices of licensed service to a theatre such as you now own? A. Yes, sir. Before that as well. Q. Did you study the proposition of prices before you began to operate the Apollo Theatre? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you investigate the prices of independent service, and the prices of licensed service? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did the unlicensed exchanges offer you a complete service for the Apollo Theatre? A. At the time we operated