16. Did Thomas Edison invent the pirating of film?
In 1902 French filmmaker Georges Melies produced A Trip to the Moon, which became a classic and is considered the first science fiction film in history. It was a sensation in France and England, and Thomas Edison, determined to monopolize the motion picture market in all of its aspects, not only the manufacturing of cameras and projectors, took steps to ensure Melies would not profit from the film in the United States. Edison paid a projectionist in England to deliver a copy of the film to him, from which he made multiple copies and distributed them across America. The film was presented in America as an Edison production and the royalties went into Edison’s pockets. Melies never received so much as a dime.
Edison’s actions effectively eliminated Melies from the lucrative American film market, but that was not the limit of Edison’s actions regarding film piracy. At the same time, he employed enforcers to ensure that films produced by his studios were protected from unscrupulous theater owners, in effect suppressing the very acts of piracy he also practiced. Edison’s domineering hand on the film industry led to many producers, who initially clustered around New York and New Jersey, moving to the west, including outside of Los Angeles.
