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 (1912-1913)

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:
1912-1913
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 7
Leaf #:
000159
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:
June 27, 2024
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Motion Picture Patents Co. and Edison Mfg. Co. 141 The Licensee further covenants and agrees that, in the "lease territory aforesaid," the Licensee will not sell or offer for sale other goods or merchandise at less than currenl prices in order to induce the lease of positive motion pictures, nor present or donate other goods or merchandise or prizes, or make use of credii cards or trading stamps, or offer any premiums of any kind whatsoever to induce the lease of such positive motion pictures. 17. It is further mutually covenanted and agreed by and between the Licensor and Licensee that no lease of positive motion pictures, on film of a greater width than approximately one (1) inch, shall be made in the "lease territory aforesaid" by the Licensee, except upon and subject to the following terms and conditions, the substance of which (with the exception of the condition as to the return of positive motion pictures hereinafter referred to) shall be expressed in a printed notice4 on the1 labels, as provided for in Paragraph 7, accompanying each positive motion picture, namely: (1) that the lessee of such positive motion picture shall not sell or otherwise dispose of tin1 same outright, but shall only have the right to use such positive motion picture in giving motion picture exhibitions in machines licensed by the Licensor under the said Letters Patent Nos. 578,185, 580,740, 586,953, 588,916, <>7:U20, 073,002, 707,934, 722,382, 744.251, 770,o:)>7, 771,280, 785,205, and 7S5,237, or one or more of them, or under any other Letters Patent that it may hereafter acquire or control, or to sub-lease such motion picture for use in such machines, and that (2) the lessee shall not make or permit others to make any reproduction commonly known as a "dupe" of such positive motion picture or any other positive motion picture containing the invention of said reissued Letters Patent No. 12.102, or (3) sub-lease the same or any other positive motion picture on film of a greater width than approximately 0m1 ill inch containing tin1 invention of said reissued Letters Patent, No. 12,102, for use in giving motion picture exhibitions, at a lower lease price directly or indirectly than that prescribed by the Licensee, at the time of the lease of such motion picture; and ft) that the lessee of such positive motion picture shall not remove the trade mark or trade name or title therefrom and (5) that the lessee shall return to the Licensee from whom such positive motion picture lias been leased 1 without any payment therefor except the transportation charges incident to the return of the same) on the first day of every month, beginning with February 1st, 1000, an amount ^\' positive motion