43: The Richard Petty Story

Released in 1972 (also known as 'Smash-Up on Interstate 5' in some contexts, but primarily known as '43: The Richard Petty Story'), this film falls under the 1909 Copyright Act as amended by the 1992 Renewal Act. For films published between 1964 and 1977, copyright renewal is automatic. Therefore, even though the original 28-year term would have expired around 2000, no manual renewal filing was required to maintain protection in the United States. A search of the U.S. Copyright Office records confirms a primary registration (LP44280) for this title, originally registered in 1974. Because the work was published with a valid notice and registration within the 1964–1977 window, it is granted a total of 95 years of protection from the date of publication. It is currently under active licensing and was released on DVD by companies like Shout! Factory, which further confirms an active chain of title and ongoing commercial exploitation by current rightsholders.