Public Domain
Starting a Skyscraper
1902 · Edison Manufacturing Co. · Dir. Robert K. Bonine
Taken in the immense excavation for the foundation of the new Macy building at the corner of Broadway and 34th Street, New York.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Starting a Skyscraper' was produced by the Edison Manufacturing Co. and filmed in July 1902. It was registered for US copyright on July 23, 1902, under the registration number H20310. Under the Copyright Act of 1909 and previous statutes, the maximum term for a copyright was 56 years (an initial 28-year term plus a 28-year renewal).
Works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have seen their copyright terms expire regardless of renewal status. As a US production from 1902, it entered the public domain 75 years after publication at the latest, though it effectively transitioned to the public domain much earlier as the 1909 Act's maximum term expired in 1958. Consequently, the work is now in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), 1894-1912
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Early Cinema)
- Musser, Charles. 'Before the Nickelodeon: Edwin S. Porter and the Edison Manufacturing Company' (1991)
- Niver, Kemp R. 'Early Motion Pictures: The Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress' (1985)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.