While sitting back and enjoying the latest blockbuster release that Hollywood has to offer, have you ever pondered the question, how did Hollywood become the movie capital of the world? It’s one of those things that we seldom worry or think about, but for all intents and purposes when the question is raised, we become inquisitive and want an answer. Well we can reveal to you that Hollywood became the movie capital of the world due to legal reasons, and our entire entertainment industry could have been significantly different had Hollywood not become the mecca for aspiring stars the world over. So exactly how did Hollywood become the movie capital of the world?
Oh Hollywood. It’s the place to be if you want to give anything film related a try. Brimming with stars, glitz and glamour, it has become the heartland of the entertainment industry the world over. But why? If you look at Hollywood on a world map it sits well away from the much more densely populated East coast of America, which can be considered the industrial, cultural and financial heartland of North America. It’s also even further separated from the wealthy Western European countries. Geographically it makes little sense to be the center for world entertainment. But geography has nothing to do with it.
Over one hundred years ago, when the film industry was just getting off its feet, most patents for movie making were held by Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company in New Jersey. Now there’s no denying the fact that Thomas Edison has contributed immensely to the entertainment industry. If it weren’t for him life would be considerably duller. But he was the biggest factor for Hollywood becoming what it is today. In fact, Edison nearly spelled the end of movies as we know them.
Because Thomas Edison held nearly all movie making patents, it became extremely difficult for production companies to make movies in the Eastern states. Every time they tried, Edison sued them and shut down production. To overcome this massive block to producing quality content for the worlds growing cinema audience, companies decided to move West to California where it was far more difficult for Edison to sue them. In fact, it was almost impossible for Edison to enforce his patent.
The move proved to be a great one. Not only did the litigations cease, but the weather was more favourable for filming conditions.
So the next time you see a movie saying that movie piracy is a crime, remember how Hollywood became what it is today. They effectively stole intellectual property from Thomas Edison, which kind of makes them hypocrites now doesn’t it?