Public Domain
The Enchanted Drawing
1900 · Edison Manufacturing Company · Dir. J. Stuart Blackton
A cartoonist defies reality when he draws objects that become three-dimensional after he lifts them off his sketch pad.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Enchanted Drawing, directed by J. Stuart Blackton and produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company, was registered for copyright and released in late 1900. Under US copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of the maximum possible copyright term (95 years from publication).
The film is a foundational work in the history of animation, demonstrating early 'stop-motion' and 'substitution splash' techniques. Because its publication year is well before the 1928 threshold, no renewal search is required, and its status is definitively public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress (Paper Print Collection)
- IMDb: The Enchanted Drawing (1900)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Early Cinema)
- 17 U.S.C. § 304 (Copyright Act of 1976 and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.