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 6
Leaf #:
00055
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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SlEGMUND LUBIN, CROSS EXAMINATION. 3087 Q. Now, when was the authority given to pay that much for all the licensed exchanges? A. I don't know. I cannot tell you. Mr. Kennedy will have to attend to this business. I don't know anything about it. I never was present when one single rental exchange company was sold, never was there, and so I cannot tell you. Q. If you will now turn back to the other exhibit, at page 252, you will see that Mr. Kennedy states, in his letter to Mr. Pelzer — A. The letter states what you say. I don't know what correspondence he had with that man; I don't know. I have nothing to do with that letter. I don't read Pelzer's letters, I don't write him, so I can't tell you anything about his letter business — about anything that was told by letters. Q. If you will look at the top of page 252, you will see that Mr. Kennedy states that the estimate made of the value of the business — A. He wrote it — Q. Wait till I get my question — before the General Film Company was formed, was $3,468,847 — A. He wrote to Pelzer that letter? He wrote to Pelzer that letter, or did he bring it up there? Q. Then look at Exhibit No. 78? A. Yes, sir. Which is the letter of Mr. Kennedy to who? Q. To Pelzer. A. I have no knowledge about it; he never showed me the letter. Q. Wrait a moment, and let me finish my question, and we will get along faster. A. Yes. Q. Dated January 23rd, 1912? A. Yes. Q. Now, Mr. Kennedy states that before the General Film Company was organized, an estimate of the value of the business of exchanges leasing licensed motion pictures was made, and he says the value of such business was $3,468,847. Now, then, if you will turn back — A. He wrote Pelzer the letter. He never showed me that letter. Q. Now, if you will turn back to Exhibit No. 80, you will see that he states that the total payments authorized for all exchanges in entire country, in stock and in cash, amounts to $3,468,800. A. Yes. Q. Now, does the comparison made between the figure stated by Mr. Kennedy to have been an estimate made before the General Film Company was organized, with the figure given in these minutes, refresh your recollection as to there having been such an estimate made? A. I don't