Protected
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1938 · Selznick International Pictures / United Artists · Dir. Norman Taurog
Tom Sawyer and his pal Huckleberry Finn have great adventures on the Mississippi River, pretending to be pirates, attending their own funeral and witnessing a murder.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
This production was originally registered for copyright by Selznick International Pictures, Inc. under registration number LP7815 following its release in February 1938. Because the film was released between 1928 and 1963, it required an active renewal with the US Copyright Office during its 28th year to maintain protection.
Records show the copyright was successfully renewed in 1965 by Thompson Co., acting as a successor in interest to Selznick International Pictures (Renewal Registration No. R364724). As a result of this timely renewal and subsequent legislative extensions (including the 1976 Copyright Act and the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act), the film is protected for a total of 95 years from its publication date. It is currently scheduled to enter the public domain on January 1, 2034.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U. Penn Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) Renewal Search
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Baer/Hurst)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.