Public Domain
The Butterflies
1908 · Selig Polyscope Company
In a Japanese garden, gather maidens with nets to catch butterflies, all in the joy of life and budding maidenhood; fresh Irish sweetness of blithe Spring; the light fantastic toe "tripping" the limpid music arranged for this unique piece of art in a large cage a pretty colored butterfly is brought in, to delight the winsome maidens, who execute a pretty umbrella dance ere the poor butterflies are forced to entertain the merry group. Scenes are passed and the pretty butterfly is imprisoned again in the cage.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Butterflies' was released in 1908 by the Selig Polyscope Company (often cited in the Library of Congress and Selig catalogs). In the United States, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of their copyright terms.
Under the Copyright Act of 1909 and its subsequent extensions (culminating in the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act), the maximum possible term for a work published in 1908 was 75 years (28-year initial term plus a 47-year renewal term), which would have expired in 1983. Furthermore, even under the current blanket rules for pre-1928 works, this film has definitely transitioned into the public domain regardless of renewal status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress, Moving Image Copyright Descriptions Supplement, 1912-1921
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1893-1910 context)
- Hurst, Richard M. 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939'
- 17 U.S.C. § 304
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.