Public Domain
The Habit of Happiness
1916 · Fine Arts Film Company · Dir. Allan Dwan
Douglas Fairbanks stars as "Sunny" Wiggins, who believes in eternal optimism and good spirits. This places Wiggins at odds with his staid, wealthy family, who decide to get even when he blithely invites a group of derelicts to his sister's coming-out party.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Habit of Happiness' was released in the United States on March 5, 1916. Under US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of their maximum possible copyright term of 95 years.
At the time of its release, the film was governed by the Copyright Act of 1909, which provided an initial 28-year term and a 28-year renewal term (totaling 56 years). Even if the copyright had been renewed and later extended by the 1976 and 1998 Acts, the absolute limit for protection for a work from 1916 would have expired at the end of 2011. Consequently, the film is now in the public domain regardless of whether a renewal was ever filed.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912–1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (The Habit of Happiness, 1916)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939
- 17 U.S.C. § 304 (Duration of Copyright)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.