The Independent Moving Pictures Company was founded in 1909 by Carl Laemmle and was located at 573 11th Ave New York City, with a studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

[2] At a time when leading screen players worked anonymously, IMP performers Florence Lawrence, formerly known as "The Biograph Girl," and King Baggot became the first "movie stars" to be given billing and screen credits, a marquee as well as promotion in advertising, which contributed to the creation of the star system.

In the early 20th century, the Motion Picture Patents Company, or the Trust, was fought by the unlicensed independent films (dubbed "pirates" or "outlaws"), led by Laemmle.

Before long, the independents began moving to Southern California, and opened up a West Coast movie-making industry.

In 1918 the Cohns and another IMP employee, Joe Brandt, left to form Cohn-Brandt-Cohn (CBC) Film Sales Corporation which later became Columbia Pictures.