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> Because of Edisons patents for the motion pictures it was close to financially impossible to create motion pictures in the North american east coast. The movie studios therefor relocated to California, and founded what we today call Hollywood. The reason was mostly because there was no patent.

I don't understand -- aren't patents federally enforced?



Yes they apply federally. However, back in the day the sheer distance from Hollywood to Edison on the east cost made it infeasible for him to bring court action needed to enforce the patents.


Yes, but the Ninth Circuit Court, which has federal jurisdiction over California, was not too bullish on patent enforcement at the time.


I found it confusing too. Edison built the Kinetograph in 1891, back when traveling across the country was quite difficult, and I'm going to assume that it was slightly easier to get ignored in California than in New York, and that is probably what they mean.


> I don't understand -- aren't patents federally enforced?

I can only assume they were not federal back then.




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