A Wolf's Tale

The film 'A Wolf's Tale' (often referred to as 'The Wolf's Tale' in some records) was released on July 6, 1944, as part of the Phantasies cartoon series produced by Screen Gems and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first copyright term to remain protected. A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal registration for this specific title. While many Columbia short subjects and cartoons were renewed, several Screen Gems Phantasies from the mid-1940s fell into the public domain due to administrative oversight or the dissolution/restructuring of Screen Gems in the late 1940s. Because no renewal was filed within the mandatory window (1971-1972 for a 1944 release), the copyright expired at the end of its first 28-year term. This film is frequently listed in reputable public domain animation databases and has been included in numerous 'PD' cartoon compilations and archives without challenge from the successor-in-interest (Sony/Columbia), which further confirms its public domain status.