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 #:
000257
Language:
English
Collection:
Early Cinema and Government & Law
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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Harry N. Marvin, Direct Examination. 32G7 Q. Please describe briefly the mechanism illustrated by this chart. A. In this chart will be noted the single stationary lens marked "Lens," the tape-like photographic film marked "Edison film," the upper and lower supports for the bulk of the film marked "supply reel," and "take-up reel," respectively, the continuously running sprocket feed rollers positively engaging the film and adapted to feed it regularly and uniformly and having an intermediate portion of the slack film between them, these feeding rollers being marked on the chart "Latham slack forming feed rollers No. 1" and "Latham slack forming feed rollers No. la" respectively, the intermittent feeding device positively engaging the intermediate section of the slack film and adapted to move it across the lens with an intermittent motion at a high rate of speed, marked "intermittent feed" on the chart, the shutter, marked "Shutter," adapted to expose the film during the period of rest, all of this mechanism being enclosed in a light-tight box. The main driving shaft is shown, but it is not marked on the chart. Mr. Church : Counsel for the defendant offers in evidence the chart last referred to by the witness, and requests that the same be marked "Defendant's Exhibit 181." The exhibit is received in evidence and is so marked. By Mr. Church: Q. Is the last chart referred to by you. Defendant's Exhibit 181, illustrative of the mechanism shown in any of the photographs that you have produced, and please state which? A. It is illustrative of the mechanism shown on photograph 2 of Defendant's Exhibit 179. Q. I show you still another chart, the mechanism portrayed upon which I will ask you to briefly describe, and will also ask you to state for what purpose this chart is produced. A. This chart illustrates common features of projecting machines in general use at the beginning of 1908. It illustrates the mechanism shown in photograph No. 5 of Exhibit 179. In this chart will be noted the flexible transparent or translucent tape-like photographic film marked "Edison film," the upper and lower supports for the bulk of the film, marked respectively "supply reel" and "take-up