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PUBLIC DOMAIN FYI
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Public Domain

The Merchant of Venice

1908 · Vitagraph Company of America · Dir. J. Stuart Blackton

A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia. Portia's father has died and left a very strange will: only the man that picks the correct casket out of three (silver, gold, and lead) can marry her. Bassanio, unfortunately, is strapped for cash with which to go wooing, and Antonio wants to help, so Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, the money-lender. But Shylock has been nursing a grudge against Antonio's insults, and makes unusual terms to the loan. And when Antonio's business fails, those terms threaten his life, and it's up to Bassanio and Portia to save him.

Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

The film 'The Merchant of Venice,' released by the Vitagraph Company of America in 1908, is in the public domain in the United States. Under current US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have seen their copyright terms expire regardless of renewal status. This specific production is a one-reel silent short directed by J. Stuart Blackton. Because it was published well before the 1928 cutoff, it entered the public domain 75 years after its release (under the 1976 Act) or 95 years after its release (under the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act), both of which have now lapsed. No further copyright search is required for works of this era.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.