Public Domain
Day Dreams
1922 · Buster Keaton Productions / Associated First National Pictures · Dir. Edward F. Cline
In order to impress the father of a girl he is keen on, a young man goes to the city in search of work. In his letters home he writes of his various jobs which her imagination expands into much nobler ones than those that he is actually attempting.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Day Dreams (often stylized as 'Daydreams'), starring Buster Keaton, was released in November 1922 and registered for copyright by Buster Keaton Productions on September 28, 1922 (LP18359). Under the copyright laws of the United States, works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain.
Since this film was released in 1922, its maximum possible copyright term (including renewals) expired 75 years after publication, which was in 1997. Even if it had been subject to the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, its pre-1923 status would have still guaranteed its entry into the public domain on January 1, 1998. The film is now a part of the public domain regardless of whether the copyright was originally renewed in its 28th year.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939 (Hurst/Baer)
- U.S. Copyright Office Circular 15a: Duration of Copyright
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.