I am a bit saddened that Fran Blanche produced this video in the way she did. Fran is clearly, and justifiably, frustrated by the circumstances. She has every right to be. Yet claims like she owns the copyright if anybody since she owns an original reel is poorly articulated. I think Fran meant to say she may own the copyright to her transfer of the reel and she has the right to make a copy of the reel since the film is in the public domain.

The copyright situation is a mess though. Another poster said that they nope out of the idea of creating content due to stuff like this. I understand that feeling. On the other hand, their content would simply be ripped and reposted on somewhere else without some sort of technical means to enforce copyright. Either way, people who know how to abuse the system are going to abuse the system to their own benefit. There is no effective means to combat that abuse. The courts are out of reach to most people. Even a company as big as Google would have trouble handling and verifying claims. Even if they could dedicate the resources, it would probably expose them to being successfully sued in borderline cases. (Fran can point to her original reel, not everyone can do the same.)

EDIT: for those who are insisting that I am twisting Fran's words, I made it perfectly clear that she said if anybody. If you disagree with what I am saying, fine, but please don't claim that I am saying she said something she didn't because I am not.