Public Domain
The Narrow Road
1912 · Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith
Two men are released from prison after having served their sentences. One is determined to go straight and stay out of trouble, but his fellow ex-con has other ideas, and his plans wind up spelling trouble for both of them.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Narrow Road (1912) is a US-produced silent drama directed by D.W. Griffith and produced by the Biograph Company. Under US copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of their original registration or renewal status.
As a 1912 production, the film was subject to the 1909 Copyright Act, which provided for an initial 28-year term and a 28-year renewal. Even if it had been renewed, it would have expired in 1968. However, the 1928 cutoff is the current hard line for public domain entry in the United States as of 2023, making this work definitively public domain.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/resources/public-domain-film-and-video/
- IMDb: The Narrow Road (1912)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Narrow Road (1912)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.