Public Domain
Hot Water
1924 · Harold Lloyd Corporation / Pathé Exchange · Dir. Sam Taylor
Lloyd's look at married life and the issues of the in-law. Adventures include a ride on a crowded trolley with a live turkey; A wild spin in a new auto with the in-laws in tow. Finally, a sequence in which Hubby accidentally chloroforms his mother-in-law and becomes convinced that he's killed her!
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the terms of the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, all works published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. Hot Water is a classic silent feature starring Harold Lloyd released on October 26, 1924.
Even though the film was originally registered (LP20721) and its copyright was successfully renewed in 1952 (R101344) by the Harold Lloyd Corporation, the expiration of the maximum 95-year term for works of that era occurred on January 1, 2020. Consequently, the film is now definitively in the public domain in the United States regardless of its prior renewal status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (The First 100 Years 1893–1993)
- Public Domain Day 2020, Center for the Study of the Public Domain, Duke Law School
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.