Public Domain
The Broken Brake
1920 · Capital Film Company · Dir. Robert Myles
This short action drama is a compilation of at least two films with Helen Gibson.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Broken Brake is a two-reel silent Western short starring Helen Gibson, released in August 1920. As a work first published in the United States prior to January 1, 1928, it has entered the public domain regardless of whether its copyright was ever registered or renewed.
Under current U.S. copyright law, all works published before 1928 have seen their statutory copyright terms expire. No further search of the Catalog of Copyright Entries or renewal databases is required to confirm its status, as there is no mechanism for a 1920 publication to remain under copyright in the United States as of 2024.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1912–1939
- The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States
- 17 U.S.C. § 304
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.