Public Domain
The Lonely Villa
1909 · Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith
A gang of thieves lure a man out of his home so that they can rob it and threaten his wife and children. The family barricade themselves in an interior room, but the criminals are well-equipped for breaking in. When the father finds out what is happening, he must race against time to get back home.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Lonely Villa' was directed by D.W. Griffith and released by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company on June 10, 1909. Under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and the subsequent Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain in the United States.
As a 1909 release, the work was subject to the 1909 Act, which provided for a maximum term of 56 years (an initial 28-year term followed by a 28-year renewal). Even if the copyright had been renewed, it would have expired no later than 1965. Regardless of renewal status, its age places it well before the current 1928 cutoff for public domain status. The film is currently preserved at the Library of Congress and is widely available in public domain collections.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress (National Film Preservation Board)
- Internet Archive
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1893-1910)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.