Public Domain
Civilization
1916 · Triangle Film Corporation · Dir. Charles Giblyn
After an idyllic mountain life in Russia, Berna goes to live with her uncle in the Jewish section of Kiev, arriving just as Cossacks massacre most of the Jews in the city. Berna escapes to New York and works at a sweatshop controlled by Boss Jim McManus, but he seduces her, then throws her out on the street, and she becomes a prostitute. Berna later marries Nicolay Turgenev, a young musician,
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the current US copyright law (the 1976 Act and the subsequent 1998 CTEA extension), all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. This film, produced by Thomas H. Ince and released by Triangle Film Corporation in June 1916, falls squarely within this category. Although it was a major production of the silent era and was originally registered for copyright, any protection it held expired 75 years after its publication (in 1991), at which point it reverted to the public domain.
Because the work was published before the 1928 cutoff, it is no longer subject to renewal requirements or URAA restoration considerations. It is freely available for use, redistribution, and derivation in the United States without permission from the defunct Triangle Film Corporation or the Ince estate.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
- https://archive.org/details/Civilization1916
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0006517/
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.