Public Domain
Copper Mines at Bingham, Utah
1912 · Edison Manufacturing Co. · Dir. J. Searle Dawley
Survives only incomplete, but it nicely evokes the lost mining West. The steep hillsides of Bingham Canyon were divided into ethnic enclaves, and in the excerpt we glimpse the neighborhood known as Highland Boy, home to Italian and eastern European immigrants.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
As a motion picture published before January 1, 1928, this film is in the public domain in the United States regardless of its registration or renewal status. Under the current U.S. copyright law (the 1976 Act as amended for pre-1978 works), the maximum term for works published with copyright notice or registration was 95 years, and any work published prior to 1928 has reached its definitive expiration date.
This specific film is a short documentary produced by Thomas A. Edison, Inc., and was deposited for copyright registration by Thomas A. Edison on July 10, 1912 (registration number J171221). It is well-documented in the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries and the AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1911–1920 volume). Because the creation and publication occurred 112 years ago, it is physically impossible for the copyright to be active under existing U.S. statues.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures, 1912-1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: 1911-1920
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database (confirmed pre-1928 coverage redundant for PD status)
- 17 U.S.C. § 304 (Copyright Act regarding works created before 1978)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.