Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-01
MOVIES TRUST
FOUND GUILTY
Dissolution Of Motion Pic~
ture Conf >ation Is
D; ed.
CASE GO TO
U 3 SUPREME COURT
Decision Rendered Against Mevins
Picture Patents Company. Gsnseal
Film Company and Many 0thsr
Firms and Individuals Engaged In
Film Manufacturs-Contr Held q
Have Constituted Trade censplsoap.

Philadelphia Oct. 1.-The UnfteA
States government won a sweeping
victory In one OF It's important anti.
trust cases today when Judge Oliver
B. Dickinson, in United States district
court here handed down a decision
dissolying the alleged moving picture
trust on the ground that 1t was vio-
lating the Sherman law regulating In
terstate and foreign commerce.
The decision was registered against
the Moving Picture Patents Company
the General Film Company and many
other firms and individuals mAnufac-
turing films or their accessories, Of
controlling tho rights for their manu-
facture
Tho court made no suggestion az
TO how the alleged oonib.ns:!e!, be dis
solved. 1t is probable the case will
be taken to the supreme court.
The defendants laid stress on tha
right of holders OF patents to do what
they thought best with their property.
but the court In its opinion declared
that the granting of patent does not
l IL
prohibits.
The court found that the defendants
went far beyond what was necessary
| to protect patent rights.
Combination Formed In 1908.
II was charged by the government
| that the combination was formed In
| 1908, by practically all the Aim manu-
facturers in the United States. Il was
! alleged that tho Motion Picture FIt-
ents Company was made tho holding
concern of nearly oil the patents thas
have been issued. A list OF the the
and no film exchange was permitted to
| exchange films with exhibitors except
| those named on the list.
| Uniform prices and rules were made.
| 1t was alleged. and II the members did
| not observe the rules their film was
I cut off Tho final settlements were
| heard in December, 1914. The suit
| was conducted for the governor by
| Edwin p. Grosvenor. special assistant
| to the attorney general.
! List Of Defendants.
| The defendants named in the origi-
| nal petition complaint besides the
| Moving Picture Patents Company are
the General Film Company. the Bio
| graph Company the Essanay Film
| Company. Thomas A. Edison. Inc. the
Kalem Company. Gnc.). George Kleine.
Lubin Manufacturing Company. tho
Mclies Manufacturing Company. the
Pathe Freres. the Selig Polyscope
Company. the vitagraph Company,
Frank L. Dyer Henry n. Marvin. j.
IT, Kennedy William Pelzer. Samuel
Long j. A. Berst. Siegmund Lubin,
| CASTOR Melics, Albert r. Smith, George
X Spoor and w N. Selig
The court in its decision states that
all the contracts enumerated in the
Governments petition were n conspir-
s;S% l.: restraint nf trade and therefore
illegal. and that therefore they consti-
tuted. with the exception of the opera
ltion of the Melies Manufacturing Com
nany. a monopoly in violation OF the
! antitrust laws.
Created in 1903.
The court sketched the formation Of
he alleged illegal combination. show
ing it was created In 1908. and that the
! total investments amounted to mil
lions of dollars The plan. according
| to the court, was to combine manufac
turers of film into one combination.
No exchange was permitted to have
films aud no theatsr allowed to esh!h!.
them without the consent of all the
defendants