US Public Domain - The Next 7 Years are critical

[Greg Anos]

Why are the next seven year critical? In a word - HOLLYWOOD.

We are at a crux time. Despite what we book readers believe, Hollywood has been at the heart of all copyright extension. While virtually all silent films are now public domain, they compromise only a small set of viewers.

This ends with 1928. Not just Steamboat Willie (Mickey Mouse), bu the whole pantheon of Hollywood sound movie making flows into the Public Domain. And they are accessible to all video watchers (or at least all that can stand black-and-white). By 1935 (1928 to 1934), there will be a critical mass of early "talkies" available to the PD that further copyright extensions will become moot.

Shorts (the first season of the 3 Stooges is most notable).
Cartoons - Lots of early sound cartoons
Movies - (all pre-code movies, Red Dust, Tarzan and His Mate, The Thin Man, ect.)

Will Hollywood go down without a fight?