Is it legal to publicly show any silent era film?
If a film has not lapsed into the public domain, any public exhibition or duplication of a copyrighted film must be given in writing by the current copyright holder or their authorized agents. Some copyright holders grant licenses to film distributors who are authorized to collect fees and supply film prints for exhibition in theatrical and/or nontheatrical markets (universities, nonprofit organizations, etc.). Such public exhibition of copyrighted films are subject to fees and restrictions, depending on the type of exhibition. Any film that has fallen into the public domain may be shown without an agreement with or compensation to the previous copyright holders. Distributors of public-domain films may charge what amounts to a rental fee for use of actual film prints that they themselves own. It is common sense to confirm a film’s copyright status (see the previous question) before the public exhibition of any motion picture.
