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)

Page scan 000273 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:
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 #:
000273
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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The Vitagraph Co. of Am. and Motion Picture Pat. Co. 255 said Letters Patent of the, United Stales, and the right to sue Inland recover damages and profits for past infringement of the said Letters Patent and each of them, and all right, title and interest in and to any reissue or reissues, or extension or extensions, of said Letters Patent, the same to be held and enjoyed by the said .Motion Picture Patents Company and its successors in business, to the full end of the term or terms for which the said Letters Patent of the United States are granted, reissued or extended, as fully and entirely as the same would have been held and enjoyed by the said Vitagraph Company of America if this assignment and sale had not been made, provided, however, that the said Vitagraph Company of America hereby reserves and retains to itself and its successors in business^ the right and license1 to practice the1 inventions described in the said Letters Patent without the payment of any royalty thereon to the said Motion Picture Patents Company or its successors in business, such right and license being, however, sul>ject to tin1 same covenants, conditions and stipulations which the said Motion Picture Patents Company may hereafter impose upon the manufacture, use and sale of projecting machines or other apparatus embodying the inventions of the said Letters Patent. The Vitagraph Company of America hereby covenants that it has fill] right to convey the interest herein assigned, ami that it has not executed and will not execute any agreement in conflict herewith. IX WITNESS WHEREOF, The VITAGRAPH COMPANY OF AMERICA has caused its corporate seal to be affixed hereunto and its name to be subscribed hereto by its President, this 30th day of December, 1908. THE VITACxRAPIT COMPANY OF AMERICA. By (Signed) YVM. T. ROCK, President Attest : (Signed) J. Stuart Blackton, Secretary. (Corporate Seal.) STATE OF NEW YORK, ) COUNTY OF NEW YORK. ) SS On this 30th day of December, \{.)i)>>, before me personally appeared J. Stuart Blackton, the secretary of The Vitagraph Com