Public Domain
Spying the Spy
1918 · Ebony Film Corporation · Dir. Charles N. David
Amateur detective Sambo Sam sets out to round up German spies, but his bungling leads him to the Coffin Club, a fraternal organization with a morbid sense of humor just itching to have some fun at the would-be sleuth's expense.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Spying the Spy' was released in 1918 as part of the Ebony Film Corporation's series of comedies featuring an African American cast. It is a one-reel silent comedy directed by Sam Robinson.
Under the United States Copyright Act of 1909 and the subsequent Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, all works published or registered in the United States prior to January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. Because this film was released in 1918, its maximum possible term of 95 years of protection (subject to renewal) has long since expired.
Technically, the copyright for 1918 works expired no later than the end of 1993 (75 years) or, for those that followed later rules, by the end of 2013. However, the absolute cutoff for public domain status in the US currently sits at January 1, 1929. Therefore, any US film from 1918 is definitively in the public domain regardless of renewal status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress: Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) - Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Internet Archive: Ebony Film Corporation collection
- Silent Era database (silentera.com)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.