Public Domain
The Goat
1921 · Comique Film Company · Dir. Buster Keaton
A series of misadventures occur when Buster is mistaken for a criminal on the lam.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the current US copyright law (as amended by the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998), all works published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain. This transition occurs regardless of whether the copyright was originally renewed or maintained.
'The Goat', starring Buster Keaton, was released on May 18, 1921. Because this release date precedes the 1929 threshold, its statutory copyright term has expired. The film is now free for use, reproduction, and distribution within the United States without the need for permission or royalty payments to the original estate or studio.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office - Circular 15a: Duration of Copyright
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database (Checked for historical context, though not required for pre-1929 works)
- IMDb - The Goat (1921) Release Info
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Goat (1921)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.