Public Domain
Enoch Arden
1911 · Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith
Moving Picture World described the film: "There is a small need to describe this subject as the poem of Lord Tennyson is so well known, so suffice it to say that this Biograph subject is an unusually faithful portrayal of that beautiful romance of Enoch Arden, Annie Lee and Philip Ray, taken in scenes of rare beauty". This is the combined feature version of Enoch Arden Parts I and II.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Enoch Arden' directed by D.W. Griffith for the Biograph Company was released in two parts in June 1911. Under the United States copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of their maximum possible copyright term.
Even if the film had been properly registered and renewed under the Copyright Act of 1909 (which provided for a 28-year initial term and a 28-year renewal term), the copyright would have expired no later than 1967. Given that the current 95-year term for works of this era only applies to works still under copyright at the time of the 1976 and 1998 term extensions, this 1911 production is definitively in the public domain.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1893-1993)
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- 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.