# RightsAtlas Research Packet — Blind Husbands (1919)

> ⚠️ **NOT legal advice.** This is a primary-source research packet describing **United States** copyright status only. It is not a clearance certificate and not a DMCA counter-notification. Verify independently before any platform dispute.

**Scope:** Tier A — **film-print layer only**. Music, story, trademark, and restorations are NOT cleared by this packet.
**Packet version:** `2026-09-20-c2bade8`  ·  **Generated:** 2026-10-05  ·  **Country:** US  ·  **Last verified:** 2026-09-20

## ⚠️ Sound recordings (pre-1972)
Sound recordings fixed before **15 Feb 1972** can be protected under state law / the Music Modernization Act until **2067 or later** — the film *print* being public domain does **not** free the music track. Assume the recorded score is a claim risk.

## Film print — Verified public domain
- **term_expiry:** Published December 7, 1919 by Universal Film Manufacturing Company in the United States. The maximum US copyright term for a 1919 publication — 28 years initial plus 28-year renewal — expired no later than 1975. All US works published through 1927 are in the public domain under current law. — [US Copyright Office Circular 15a — Copyright Duration](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf)

> Published 1919: US copyright term (95 years) has expired for works published through 1930 — the film print is public domain in the US by term expiry, regardless of country of origin.

## Other layers — NOT cleared by this packet

| Layer | Status | Evidence on file |
|---|---|---|
| Music score | Partially protected | 1 item(s) |
| Underlying story / screenplay | Verified public domain | 1 item(s) |
| Character trademarks | Undetermined | 0 item(s) |
| Restorations / re-releases | Not public domain | 2 item(s) |

## What this means
- **Watching:** Watching via the linked archival copies is generally the lowest-risk activity.
- **Reusing / monetizing:** The film print may be free, but at least one layer (music, story, or restoration) is unresolved — expect Content ID claims; keep evidence handy and consider removing or replacing the score.

## Archival copies
- [Blind Husbands (1919) — Internet Archive (US release cut, uploaded 2016, predates AFM restoration)](https://archive.org/details/BlindHusbands1919) · standard
- [Blind Husbands (1919) — Internet Archive (German intertitles with English subtitles, includes footage absent from US release)](https://archive.org/details/blind-husbands-1919) · standard

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_Valid as of 2026-10-05. Copyright status can change — check the live dossier before relying on this in a dispute:_ https://bitgitty.github.io/rightsatlas/film/blind-husbands-1919/