Chapter 162 Movie Order
But? Now the patents for movies are in his hands. Sheffield's position is equivalent to the Film Patent Company that dominated the early American movies. The reason why Hollywood became a gathering place for movies in the early days was actually to avoid the review of the American Film Patent Company. This early hegemonic company in the film industry belonged to Edison.
Because movies were actually invented by the French, the Film Patent Company Alliance also included French film companies. The Film Patent Company obtained various film patent authorizations, naturally in order to pursue monopoly like the current giants in various industries in the United States.
It required every cinema in the United States to pay a tribute of five dollars per week, distributors to pay five thousand dollars in rent per year, and independent producers were not allowed to make any film without the consent and authorization of the Film Patent Company.
The initial trajectory of the movement was to build it based on the Standard Oil model, wanting to create a Standard Oil in the film industry. However, Edison certainly does not have this ability now. During Sheffield's trip to Europe, film patents are the top priority. Edison can deal with others with Morgan's support, but it is impossible for him to deal with himself.
Moreover, Sheffield realized the film patent ten years earlier than Edison, and was the first to go to Hollywood. The location of the DreamWorks now depends on his idea, whether it will be a farm or a dreamworks in the future.
Sheffield now has two choices: either copy Edison's path, but although he is definitely stronger than Edison, it is almost impossible for him to succeed. He can only use the film patent to collect protection fees for a few years, and if he does this, Hollywood will definitely cease to exist.
The second option is the Google model, which pretends to be open source but actually gives private goods to film practitioners. The film patents in hand are not used as weapons and will not be used, but as a last resort of deterrence.
Google's Android system is completely incomparable to Apple's system. If it had not chosen to be open source and allowed manufacturers around the world to help it, the Android system would have been completely destroyed by Apple if it had only relied on Google itself. Naturally, Google has always been a younger brother to Apple.
However, the open source Android system has gathered the strength of major manufacturers to catch up with Apple, allowing the weak Google to gain a firm foothold. In the process, Google then added its own products to the mobile phones of major manufacturers and made Google a powerful company. This set of chicken-laying-eggs tricks is very beautiful.
Because the Apple system is closed, all software must cooperate with Apple. However, Android is the mainstream of the market, and Apple is increasingly unable to compete with major Android manufacturers.
Sheffield could also pretend to be tolerant, or even use his patents to attract various filmmakers to settle in Hollywood and establish Hollywood's status in advance. Anyway, he wanted to make California his main business base.
"I also heard from Councilman Harvey that there is a young and wealthy guest who is very interested in my manor. It's our first meeting, but I have to say, William, you are younger than I thought." Wilcox happily extended his hand and shook hands with Sheffield, as if they had met each other too late.
"Mr. Wilcox is a visionary real estate businessman. I have to admit that you have realized your dream and become the person that people envy. This is really a good place." Sheffield looked around with satisfaction. This is Hollywood, the place that feeds shit to the whole world. Now it is possible that the person who feeds shit to the whole world may be himself. It is really exciting to think about it.
Now at least part of the traditional media is in Sheffield's hands. With Hollywood in his hands, Sheffield can distort right and wrong at will and say whatever he wants.
Following the Wilcoxes into the estate, Sheffield was more excited than ever before. It was not impossible to move the legitimate film companies to the San Fernando Valley and put all the illegitimate companies in Hollywood in a naughty way.
"Excuse me, I brought too many people with me. I have a problem that I cannot stay too far away from people I don't know. Thank you for your generous understanding." Sheffield expressed his apology with a smile, and the style of Master Yue was perfectly grasped.
"So that's how it is!" Wilcox saw through it but didn't say anything. He didn't expose the fact that the rich were afraid of death. If he knew that Sheffield just wanted to turn the small town he had worked so hard to develop into the world's center of adult movies, he might not be so polite and it is not impossible that he would speak foul language.
At that time, Hollywood already had a post office, a newspaper, a hotel and two markets. For a small town with only a few hundred people, it had everything it needed. There was also a tram connecting to Los Angeles, more than ten kilometers away.
Of course, the land that this tram passes by has now been bought. The land was really cheap at the end of the 19th century. If California or Los Angeles wants to take back this land in the future, Sheffield will definitely cooperate as long as they take it back at ten times the market price.
There are still large tracts of wilderness between Hollywood and Los Angeles. There are no high-rise buildings. There is knee-deep soil everywhere. Horse-drawn carriages run on the road, raising dust. Sheffield will make this place more beautiful and contribute to California.
"Compared to when I came here ten years ago, the conditions here are much better now, and I have fulfilled my wife's dream!" Wilcox looked at his wife with affectionate eyes, not caring at all about the minors present, and showed his affection so much, "My wife likes it here very much."
"There is still greater potential here. After all, the connection with Los Angeles is a bit inconvenient now." Sheffield made full use of his conversation skills and wanted to ask some questions indirectly, such as whether Wilcox's estate was for sale. But then again, he seemed to have been doing this since last year.
Unfortunately, Wilcox did not want to sell his estate, saying that he was very comfortable living here. Sheffield did not force it either. He was not the kind of person who wanted to take all the benefits. Otherwise, he would not have repeatedly retained the founding team during acquisitions and given them fairly good treatment.
Considering that Wilcox was a real estate developer, in other words a rich man, Sheffield changed her way of chatting with him, just like women like to talk about money with poor people and talk about feelings with rich people, but often get nothing.
Sheffield did the same thing, talking about money with the poor and about feelings and ideals with the rich, but he always succeeded because he himself was a rich man.
At lunch time, Sheffield took a look at the veal steak and found that the portion was indeed a little smaller than that in Texas. He wondered if his Texas bodyguards could eat enough.
"I want to do some business in this town. I like the comfortable environment here. I wonder if Mr. Wilcox is willing to help me buy a piece of land." Since it is impossible to swallow up the other party's manor in its entirety, Sheffield remained patient and prepared to use a method that would be slow to take effect but equally effective.
It can be called the salami-slicing tactic or the boiling frog in warm water. If Wilcox does not agree to this, the favorability of both parties will inevitably drop greatly. Although Sheffield is not greedy, he does not give himself any benefits, which is another problem.
"I personally don't object to Mr. William coming here to do business, but I wonder what he wants to do?" Wilcox did not say that he could not talk. In fact, although he owned the largest estate in Hollywood, a lot of the land belonged to other residents, so he had no need to object.
"I spoke up first just because I was afraid of causing resentment among some citizens. Now it seems that I thought too much." Sheffield smiled gently and said, "In fact, there is nothing special about this place. It is just a hotel, a theater and a film company."
Sheffield's words triggered Wilcox's instinct as a real estate businessman, and he agreed, "Really? There's a theater? The residents of this small town are actually very bored, and they really need a place where they can relax."
If he could attract some people to settle here, Wilcox's estate would be even more valuable. Wilcox didn't know what kind of people he would attract, but he instinctively knew that his land might appreciate in value.
Hollywood Manor is only 0.6 square kilometers, which is nothing in the United States. Even if Sheffield does not buy the land from the other party, it can still build another one next to the town.
After staying in Hollywood for two days, Sheffield officially listed Sheffield Films in Hollywood. After much consideration, he removed the word "patent" from the name of the film company.
Currently, the main assets of the film company are numerous film patents. Without any actors, there are naturally no film technical talents. In the following days, Sheffield bought land around Hollywood. After completing all this, he officially prepared to take the first step.
Since returning from Europe last year, Sheffield United has been chasing the pioneers of the nascent film industry like chasing rats, and has achieved unfavorable results this year. It can be said that the only fish that slipped through the net was New York some time ago, because the other party found the Vanderbilt family, and Sheffield eventually bought a property from the other party and used it to open a supermarket in exchange, letting the unlucky guy go.
"We will publish an open letter in our newspaper, saying that we are willing to reconcile with other filmmakers. I will be waiting for them in Los Angeles!" Sheffield knocked on the table and said, "I believe they will come."
(End of this chapter)
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