Banded together, these small companies comprised the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC, also known as the Edison Trust), which was officially founded in December of 1908. The leading film distributor in the US, George Kleine, and the largest raw film stock supplier, Eastman Kodak, were also involved in the MPPC, as well as some local branches of foreign distribution. Though it was disbanded seven years later, the MPPC was responsible for initial film circulation in the US, reducing the influence of foreign films, and standardizing the distribution and exhibition of films across America.
