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 #:
000344
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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2794 Cornelius D. Struble, Direct Examination. Q. Was there anything fixed, definite or certain about your being able to carry out the promises that were made? A. Well, it depended naturally upon the promptness of other customers in returning their used programs. At that time it was very uncertain. Q. At the present time, are you able to supply an exhibitor with a program so that he may know of it in advance, and advertise it? A. We did. We give practically all of the customers their programs — that is, advance notice of their programs. Q. How much time do they have? A. Well, from a week to ten days. Q. Does your exchange co-operate with the exhibitors in endeavoring to give them the sort of program they desire? A. We do. Just as far as possible. Mr. Grosvenor : No cross examination. Whereupon, at 3 : 10 P. M. on this Friday, the 9th day of January, 1914, the hearing is adjourned until Saturday, January 10th, 1914, at 10 :30 A. M., at Planters' Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri.