Public Domain
The Clown's Little Brother
1920 · Grosset & Dunlap / Educational Films Corp · Dir. Dave Fleischer
Koko the Clown's little brother comes to visit and wreaks havoc in Max Fleischer's studio.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film was released in 1920 (as part of the 'Peabody' or 'Paddy' series). Under the terms of the Copyright Act of 1976 and the subsequent Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, all works published or registered for copyright in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain.
Because this film's canonical release year is 1920, its maximum 75-year term (under previous law) or 95-year term (under current law) has expired. Even if a valid copyright registration and renewal had been filed, the copyright would have expired no later than the end of 1995. This film is definitively in the public domain in the United States due to its age.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office, Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE)
- Hurst, Richard Maurice. (1992). Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.