Cat Meets Mouse

The film 'Cat Meets Mouse' is a Terrytoons theatrical short released on February 20, 1942, directed by Mannie Davis and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published in the U.S. between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing in the 28th year of their initial copyright term to extend protection to the full 95-year duration. Researching the U. Penn online Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) and the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database reveals that while the film was originally registered (Reg. No. LP11090), no renewal record exists. For 1942 releases, renewals were required between 1969 and 1970. The failure to renew this specific entry resulted in the work falling into the public domain upon the expiration of its first term. The film's public domain status is further corroborated by its inclusion in various 'Public Domain' cartoon compilations and its citation in David Hurst's 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939; 1940-1949)' as a non-renewed title. Unlike some other Terrytoons, this short does not appear to have been part of any package that received a timely blanket renewal record that survived legal scrutiny.