Public Domain
Alice Cans the Cannibals
1925 · Winkler Pictures / Disney Bros. Studio · Dir. Walt Disney
Alice and her cat are driving along the coast when they accidentally ride off a cliff and into the ocean. They trick a fish into towing them along until a storm hits and they are swept away to the Cannibal Islands, where they are pursued aggressively by the locals.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Alice Cans the Cannibals' was part of the Disney 'Alice Comedies' series and was released in 1925. Under the copyright laws of the United States, all works published before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain. This occurs regardless of whether the copyright was originally registered or subsequently renewed, as the maximum possible term for works from this era has expired.
Even if the film had been renewed (which the Walt Disney Company historically did for many later works), the statutory 95-year term for works-for-hire published in 1925 expired on December 31, 2020. As of January 1, 2021, the film is definitively in the public domain. Its status is corroborated by its presence in numerous public domain archival collections and its common availability on public domain media sites without copyright restriction.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office - Circular 15a: Duration of Copyright
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Walt Disney Film Archives: The Animated Movies 1921–1968 (Taschen)
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.