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)

Page scan 000414 from 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 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 #:
000414
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 12, 2024
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2864 Charles (). Baumann, Direct Examination CHARLES O. BAUMANN, a witness produced on behalf of the defendants, being first duly sworn by the Examiner, deposes as follows: Direct examination by Mr. Kingsley: Q. Where do you live? A. 293 New York Avenue, Brooklyn. Q. How long have you been a resident of Greater New York? A. All my life. Q. In what business are you engaged? A. Manufacturing motion pictures. Q. In what business were you engaged in 1908? A. Film exchange business. Q. Were you interested as owner or part owner in a film exchange in 1908? A. Yes. Q. What was the name of that film exchange? A. Empire Film Exchange. Q. Where was the Empire Film Exchange located? A. Fulton Street, New York. Q. Did the Empire Film Exchange operate under an Edison license in 1908? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do you remember when the Motion Picture Patents Company issued licenses to the rental exchanges in this city and throughout the country? A. Yes. Q. In what year was that? A. 1909. Q. Was the Empire Film Exchange licensed by the Motion Picture Patents Company? A. No. Q. Did the Empire Film Exchange ask for a license from the Motion Picture Patents Company? A. No. Q. At what time did the producers of motion pictures who had taken out licenses from the Motion Picture Patents Company, cease supplying motion pictures to the Empire Film Exchange? A. The latter part of January or the early part of February, 1909. Q. Wrhat steps did the Empire Film Exchange take in February, 1909, to secure motion pictures for its customers after the licensed producers of motion pictures ceased to supply it? A. Got a number of reels or supplies from the Western Import Company of 23rd Street. Q. Did the Empire Film Exchange begin to import film from abroad? A. No. Q. Did it secure imported film? A. Yes. Q. What brands of imported films did it secure? A.