Public Domain
Easy Street
1917 · Lone Star Corporation / Mutual Film Corporation · Dir. Charlie Chaplin
A derelict, huddled under the steps of a missionary church, feels enlightened by the sermon of a passionate preacher and infatuated by the beauty of the congregation's pianist, in such a way that he tries to improve his life of poverty by becoming a policeman. His first assignment will be to patrol along Easy Street, the turf of a vicious bully and his criminal gang.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the current copyright laws of the United States, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. 'Easy Street,' starring Charlie Chaplin, was released on January 22, 1917, which is well before this cutoff date.
Even before the 1928 cliff, films of this era required a 28-year renewal. While many of Chaplin's Mutual films were subject to complex litigation over the years, the expiration of the statutory maximum term (which was 75 years at the time the 1909 Act works began expiring, later extended to 95 years) ensures that any film from 1917 is now free of copyright restrictions in the U.S. regardless of renewal status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
- https://archive.org/details/EasyStreet1917CharlieChaplinMutual
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Short Film entry)
- 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.