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 #:
000550
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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1 2992 George K. Spoor, Direct Examination. By Mr. Caldwell : Q. Is that concern, the American Film Manufacturing Company, still in existence to-day? A. Yes, sir. Q. And doing business? A. Yes, sir. And recently — may I continue? Q. You may. A. And recently the Universal Company took one of our men whom we had made very prominent and popular under the name of — "Alkali Ike," was the title the man was known under — Augustus Carney was his name. He was located in California with our California company, and they induced him to take a vacation and go to England and Scotland, and while over there he notified us he was not coming back and that he had signed up with the Universal concern. Only two weeks ago our leading man in the Chicago company, Mr. Bushman, informed me that he had been — Mr. Grosvenor : I object to what he was informed as hearsay — The Witness : Well, he told me he was going to quit. Mr. Grosvenor: — and also, to all of this testimony as immaterial. By Mr. Caldwell: Q. Is this kind of competition between the different producers as to the services of artists going on all the time? A. Yes, sir, all the time. Q. Does it extend to the competition between the licensed producers among themselves — A. Yes, sir. Q. — as well as competition between the licensed, on the one hand, and the unlicensed on the other? A. Yes, sir, it does, indeed. Q. Has it been your experience that the cost of negative production has increased since 1909? A. Yes, it has increased very much. Q. First, take the question of salaries: What was the cost? A. High salaries. Q. First, take the question of salaries: what was the