Public Domain
The Chinaman
1920 · Bray Productions · Dir. Dave Fleischer
Max Fleischer considers hiring a new cartoonist. While the new guy draws Max's portrait, Koko gets into a fight with a cartoon Chinese man.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The work in question is a 1920 animated short film produced by John Randolph Bray for Bray Productions. According to US Copyright Law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of whether they were renewed or if a notice was present.
Because this film was released in 1920, its maximum copyright term of 95 years has expired (expiring no later than the end of 2015). As such, there is no requirement to search for renewal records at the Stanford Database or the CCE, as the age of the work renders it definitively public domain under the current statutory framework.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 15A: Duration of Copyright
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb) - The Chinaman (1920)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.