Public Domain
In the Land of the Giants and Pygmies
1925 · Cranfield & Clarke · Dir. Aurelio Rossis
IN THE LAND OF GIANT PYGMIES, a diary of Aurelio Rossi's 1925 trek into the immense Belgian Congo, preserves a long-gone-Colonial-era wonder at natural resources, "primitive" tribes, customs and costumes in Europe's cast African possessions, and implies that the "dark continent" could benefit from the "civilizing" influences of home.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of the maximum possible copyright term of 95 years. 'In the Land of the Giants and Pygmies' (alternatively known as 'In the Land of Giants and Pygmies') was a travelogue or documentary-style film released in late 1924 or early 1925, notably featuring footage from the Alexander Pearson expedition.
Because the film was released in 1925, it reached the end of its 95-year copyright protection on December 31, 2020. Regardless of whether a copyright renewal was filed in its 28th year (which would have been around 1953), the statutory limit for works of this era has been reached. Therefore, the film is definitively in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- U.S. Copyright Office - Circular 15a: Duration of Copyright
- Internet Archive: In the Land of the Giants and Pygmies (1925)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.