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 000275 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 6
Leaf #:
000275
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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Harry N. Marvin, Cross Examination. 3281 in which it is supposed to be at the point indicated, was first used in such a condition by Mr. Edison, and has been since that time commonly characterized as Edison film. Q. Did Edison make that film, witness? Answer the question yes or no. A. Make what film, Mr. Grosvenor? Q. Did he make the film which is represented on that diagram? A. As I have stated, that diagram represents an imaginary film. Q Did Edison ever make any motion picture film? A. I don't know. Q. Is not your knowledge of the business sufficient to enable you to answer the question yes or no, whether Edison ever did make and sell and put on the market any motion picture film? A. I don't know. Q. Well, then, why do you call that "Edison film" if you don't know whether or not Edison ever made any film? A. I endeavored to explain that that diagram represents an imaginary film of a type that I understand was created by Mr. Edison. Q. Do you mean to imply or testify that Edison created — is that the word you used? A. Created is the word I used. I did not say that he created the film. I said I understood that he created a type of film. Q. What type of film did Edison create? A. The type indicated on the diagram. Q. Did you ever see any type of film manufactured by Edison on any camera? A. I don't know that I have ever seen any film manufactured by Edison — Q. I did not ask you whether you knew or not. I asked you did you ever see any film, any type of film, on any camera at any time in your experience in the motion picture business, which was made by Edison? A. I do not know that Edison ever made any film. Q. Well, did you ever see any film made by Edison? A. Well, that I cannot tell. I have seen lots of film, but I don't know who made it. Q. Don't you know, Mr. Marvin, that the question of who did invent that film is a question which is in litigation between the Eastman Company and others, and that Edison never claimed to invent that film? A. I think, Mr. Grosvenor, you are talking about one thing and I am testifying about another.