Public Domain
How a Mosquito Operates
1912 · Winsor McCay · Dir. Winsor McCay
A hungry mosquito spots and follows a man on his way home. The mosquito slips into the room where the man is sleeping, and gets ready for a meal. His first attempts startle the man and wake him up, but the mosquito is very persistent.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
How a Mosquito Operates (also known as The Story of a Mosquito) was produced and released in 1912 by animation pioneer Winsor McCay. Under U.S. copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal status or notice.
The film was originally registered for copyright on January 15, 1912 (LP101) by Winsor McCay. Because it was published more than 95 years ago (and precedes the 1928 cutoff), its statutory copyright term has expired. The work is widely recognized as one of the earliest examples of character animation and is freely available via the Library of Congress and Internet Archive.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912–1939
- Library of Congress: Winsor McCay collection
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (referenced for historical context of early animation)
- Internet Archive: How a Mosquito Operates (1912)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.