Public Domain
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1903 · Edison Manufacturing Company · Dir. Edwin S. Porter
Based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Eliza, a slave who has a young child, pleads with Tom, another slave, to escape with her. Tom does not leave, but Eliza flees with her child. After getting some help to escape the slave traders who are looking for her, she then must try to cross the icy Ohio River if she wants to be free. Meanwhile, Tom is sold from one master to another, and his fortunes vary widely.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', directed by Edwin S. Porter and produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company, was released in 1903. Under United States copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of their original registration or renewal status.
Because this production was released significantly before the 1928 cutoff, its statutory copyright term has expired. The film is widely available in public domain archives, including the Library of Congress and the Internet Archive, and is frequently used in academic and historical contexts without licensing restrictions. No further copyright search is required for works of this vintage.
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
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.