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 #:
000452
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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2902 John Collier, Direct Examination. come $150 from the Universal Company, and $200 from the Mutual Company. The contributions from the trade are now meeting all the executive expenses of the Board, and the Board's policy is to have the trade bear this burden as completely as the trade is willing, but only as much money is solicited as is needed for executive expenses. The largest salary paid by the Board is $2,000 to its executive secretary. I might add here that the Board has no legal power in New York or any other city, and has never sought legal power. Its relation to the authorities of the various cities and States and to the Federal Government is purely advisory. I might insert this as relevant to my testimony. The Board treats with the various trade representatives without reference to their being grouped as rivals or otherwise, and the committees are constantly interchanging from one group to another. In fact, the most of the members of the committee do not know the difference between the various trade groups. By Mr. Kingsley : Q. Mr. Collier, what was the last month of 1913 of which you have given us a comparative statement of the number of subjects censored, produced by the licensed and the unlicensed producers? A. That was January, 1913. Q. I say, what was the last month of 1913, a record of which you gave us? A. The last was April, 1913, and then I jumped from April to January. Q. Have you the figures from April, 1913, to January, 1914? A. Yes, sir. Q. They could be easily compiled? A. Those could be compiled. Q. Will you have them compiled for us? A. Yes, sir. These are merely notes. I can compile them, and certify to them in any way you wish. I might insert one of our weekly bulletins. The bulletin for the week ending February 21st, 1913. That contains a complete statement of our work. The Board's reports of films passed are complete, and are always open to public inspection, as also its finances, and even its correspondence files. Q. You have given us a list representing the work done by the National Board of Censorship for the week ending February 21st, 1914? A. Yes, sir. Q. Is that a complete and correct list? A. It is the list