Protected
20 Million Miles to Earth
1957 · Columbia Pictures Corp. · Dir. Nathan Juran
When the first manned flight to Venus returns to Earth, the rocket crash-lands in the Mediterranean near a small Italian fishing village. The locals manage to save one of the astronauts Colonel Calder, the mission commander. A young boy also recovers what turns out to be a specimen of an alien creature. Growing at a fantastic rate, it manages to escape and eventually threatens the city of Rome.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film '20 Million Miles to Earth' was released in 1957. Under the US copyright laws of the time (1909 Act), films were protected for an initial 28-year term and required a renewal filing during the 28th year to extend protection to a second 28-year term (and subsequent extensions under the 1976 Act). For a 1957 release, the renewal window was in 1985.
Searching the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the US Copyright Office records confirms that Columbia Pictures Corporation filed a timely renewal for this work. The renewal registration number is RE0000238058, filed on March 29, 1985, which renewed the original registration LP000008471 (dated June 1, 1957). Because the copyright was successfully renewed, the film remains under copyright protection in the United States. Under the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, its protection will not expire until 95 years after its publication (December 31, 2052).
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (RE0000238058)
- US Copyright Office Public Catalog (cocatalog.loc.gov)
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (ID 52402)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.