Public Domain
Horseshoes
1923 · Hal Roach Studios · Dir. Larry Semon
A boxer offers $50 to anyone who can stay in the ring with him for an entire minute. Larry, through a series of mix-ups--including hitting the boxer in the face with a tomato--winds up in the ring with him but, with the aid of some strategically placed horseshoes, manages to knock the boxer out. When he comes to and finds out what happened, the outraged boxer sets out after Larry.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film Horseshoes, released in 1923, is a US production (a 'Spanky' series short produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Pathé Exchange). Under the current United States copyright law, as established by the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, all works published or registered for copyright in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain.
Because this film was released in 1923, its maximum 95-year term of protection expired no later than January 1, 2019. Even if the copyright had been properly registered and renewed (which would have required a renewal filing in its 28th year), it would still be in the public domain today due to the expiration of the statutory term for pre-1928 works.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 15a
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.