The Passer-By

The Passer-By (also known as The Passerby) is a short silent drama directed by Oscar C. Apfel and produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company. It was released in the United States on June 21, 1912. Under the United States copyright law current as of 2024, the term of protection for works published before January 1, 1928, has expired. Since this film was published and copyrighted in 1912, it entered the public domain in the United States no later than 75 years after its publication (under the 1976 Act) and remained in the public domain as all works from 1912 transitioned to that status by 1988 at the latest. Currently, all works published before 1929 are in the public domain regardless of renewal status. Historical records from the Library of Congress and the Edison National Historic Site confirm its 1912 release. The film is also available in various public domain archives, such as the Internet Archive, further confirming its status.