Public Domain
A Scrap in Black and White
1903 · Edison Manufacturing Co.
Shows a young black boy and a white boy in a lively set-to. They finally collapse in the centre of the ring after they have fought themselves to a stand-still. The referee proceeds to count them both out, and the seconds empty buckets of water on the fighters.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'A Scrap in Black and White' was produced by the Edison Manufacturing Co. and released in July 1903 (cataloged under Edison production number 1587). In the United States, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of their copyright terms.
Research of the Library of Congress and the Catalog of Copyright Entries confirms that even if the work had been renewed under the Copyright Act of 1909, the maximum 75-year term (extended to 95 years by the 1998 extension act) for works of this vintage has long since lapsed. As a production from 1903, it fell into the public domain no later than 1978/1979 under the oldest copyright regimes.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress (Catalog of Copyright Entries)
- American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- Edison Motion Pictures, 1890-1900: An Annotated Filmography (Musser)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.