Public Domain
The Drummer of the 8th
1913 · New York Motion Picture Company (NYMP) / Kay-Bee Pictures · Dir. Jay Hunt
When the Civil War begins, young Billy runs away from home to enlist in the Northern Army as a drummer; he's wounded in battle and taken prisoner. He manages to escape and deliver an important message to his commanding officer, but loses his life in the process. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2007.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Drummer of the 8th' was released in the United States on May 23, 1913. It is a one-reel Civil War drama produced by Thomas H. Ince's Kay-Bee brand and distributed via Mutual Film Corporation. Under current United States copyright law, all creative works published before January 1, 1929, have aged into the public domain regardless of their original registration or renewal status.
Because the film was published in 1913, its maximum 75-year copyright term (under the 1976 Act) or 95-year copyright term (under the 1998 Extension Act) has expired. The film entered the public domain on January 1, 1989. The film is currently preserved in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and has been made available via public domain archives such as the Internet Archive and various historical cinema compilations.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1911-1920)
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb) - The Drummer of the 8th (1913)
- Copyright Law of the United States, 17 U.S.C. § 304
- Internet Archive - The Drummer of the 8th (May 23, 1913)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.