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 #:
000352
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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330 Motion Picture Patents Co. and Gaumont Co. of N. Y. (13) The Licensee further covenants and agrees that it will not exhibit, or lease, or offer for Lease, second-hand or used positive "talking motion pictures" which are damaged or worn so as to be unfit for use in giving exhibitions thereof. (14) The Licensee further covenants and agrees that all leases of positive "talking motion pictures" shall be at the prices hereinbefore provided for without the allowance of any discounts or rebates or other reduction by which the lessee might acquire positive "talking motion pictures" at lower prices than those herein provided for. The Licensee further covenants and agrees that it will not sell or rent or offer for sale or rent other goods or merchandise, including projecting machines, sound reproducing devices or motion picture exhibiting and sound record synchronizing devices, at less than current prices in order to induce the lease of positive "talking motion pictures." The Licensee further covenants and agrees that in determining the rate which it charges to any theatre to which it supplies a complete service for the exhibition of "talking motion pictures/' including the positive "talking motion pictures" and the necessary exhibiting and sound reproducing devices, with or without the operator therefor, it will charge such prices for the use of such devices and the services of such operator as not to permit or effect the lease or rental of positive "talking motion pictures" at rates lower than those provided for in paragraph 9 hereof. (15) The Licensee further covenants and agrees that it will dispose of the positive "talking motion pictures" manufactured, imported, produced or printed by it, only by the lease thereof to lessees for the purpose of sub-leasing directly or indirectly to exhibitors for the purpose of giving exhibitions thereof. The Licensee farther covenants and agrees that no lease of positive "talking motion pictures" shall be made by it to any lessee for the purpose of sub-leasing, 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 "talking motion pictures") hereinafter referred to, shall be expressed in a printed notice on the labels as provided for in Paragraph 7, accompanying each positive "talking motion picture," namely; (1) that such "talking motion picture" shall al all times Ik1 used in connection with the sound record furnished by the Licensee with the said