The Shock

The Shock, starring Lon Chaney and directed by Lambert Hillyer, was released by Universal Pictures on June 10, 1923. Under the current US copyright law (17 USC §304), all works published in the United States prior to January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain regardless of their renewal status. This occurs because the maximum possible term for works from this era (95 years from publication) has expired. The film's original copyright was registered by Universal Pictures (Universal Jewel) in 1923 (LP19114). While Universal did historically renew many of its major titles, the renewal status is legally moot because the 95-year protection window closed on January 1, 2019. Consequently, the film is free to be distributed, screened, and adapted without permission from the original rights holder.