Public Domain
The Mystery of 13
1919 · Burston Films / W.W. Hodkinson Corp. · Dir. Francis Ford
A man comes by a map that shows the location of a secret treasure, but runs afoul of a criminal organization known as the "13". Chapter ten, eleven and twelve are still missing from this 15 episode serial.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Mystery of 13 is a 15-chapter American silent film serial directed by Francis Ford. The film was released between September 1919 and January 1920.
Under current United States copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 304), all works published or registered before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain. Because this work was published in 1919, its statutory copyright term has expired. Any original copyright protections lasted for a maximum of 75 years from the date of publication (under the 1976 Act) or 95 years (under the 1998 CTEA), both of which have now elapsed for works from 1919.
As of January 1, 1995, all works from 1919 entered the public domain in the United States. No renewal search is necessary as the maximum possible term has expired.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/M/MysteryOf131919.html
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010495/
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.