Public Domain
Tom Thumb
1909 · Vitagraph Company of America · Dir. Segundo de Chomón
This adaptation of Charles Perrault's classic novel briefly presents the story of a poor family who doesn't find means to sustain their home and end up being evicted from it. When the youngest of the seven children overhears his parents conversation about this sad situation, he cries for a while. But barely everyone knew, that he was about to come up with a thoughtful idea that could restore their peace and bring back their home.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
This film was produced by the Vitagraph Company of America and released in September 1909. Under the Copyright Act of 1909 and its subsequent revisions, any work published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1928, has entered the public domain. This occurs because the maximum possible term of protection for such works (95 years from publication) has expired.
Even if the user was referring to other 'Tom Thumb' adaptations of that era, such as the 1912 version by Pathé or the 1911 version by Thanhouser, the result would be identical. All films produced and released during this period are definitively in the public domain in the United States regardless of renewal status or country of origin, as they have surpassed the maximum copyright duration.
Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1894-1912
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- Vitagraph Co. of America: Its History and Its Films by Anthony Slide
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.