Protected
The Cuckoo Murder Case
1930 · Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) · Dir. Ub Iwerks
The Cuckoo Bird residing in an old clock in a creepy old mansion is shot dead by an unknown assailant; Flip the Frog is called in to investigate (and finds more than he bargained for).
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Cuckoo Murder Case is an animated short from the Flip the Frog series, produced by Ub Iwerks and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. As a 1930 production, it falls under the 1909 Copyright Act, which required a renewal in the 28th year to extend protection to a total of 75 (and later 95) years.
Research of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) confirms that a valid renewal was filed. The original registration was filed on October 13, 1930 (Reg No. LP1636). The renewal was filed by Loew's Inc. (the parent company of MGM at the time) on October 2, 1958, under renewal number R222165. Because the renewal was filed within the statutory window, the film remains protected by copyright in the United States until 95 years after its publication date. It is scheduled to enter the public domain on January 1, 2026.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (entry R222165)
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912-1939 (LP1636)
- IMDb: The Cuckoo Murder Case (1930)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Flip the Frog series records)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.