On January 9, 1894, an employee for Thomas Edison named W.K. Dickson, received a copyright for a motion picture called "Fred Ott's Sneeze". The film was 5 seconds and 47 frames. Technically, a copyright was issued to Thomas Edison's film studio a year before, but the records on what film it was have been lost, meaning this film is the earliest surviving film to receive a copyright.
![Today in Tech History (January 9, 1894): The First Known Motion Picture Copyright is Issued!](http://www.westporttechmuseum.com/cdn/shop/articles/Fredott.jpg?v=1706318014&width=1100)