Protected
A Bridge Too Far
1977 · United Artists · Dir. Richard Attenborough
The story of Operation Market Garden—a failed attempt by the allies in the latter stages of WWII to end the war quickly by securing three bridges in Holland allowing access over the Rhine into Germany. A combination of poor allied intelligence and the presence of two crack German panzer divisions meant that the final part of this operation (the bridge in Arnhem over the Rhine) was doomed to failure.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
A Bridge Too Far (1977) was released during the final year of the 1909 Copyright Act's registration framework but falls under the automatic renewal protections of the 1992 Copyright Renewal Act. Since it was published between 1964 and 1977, renewal was not required to maintain copyright beyond the initial 28-year term.
The film was a major big-budget production from Joseph E. Levine's Archie Enterprises and distributed by United Artists. A search of the U.S. Copyright Office records confirms a primary registration (LP48154) filed on June 15, 1977. This registration secured federal protection for the work.
Under current U.S. law (the 1976 Act as amended), works for hire registered in 1977 are protected for a flat term of 95 years from the date of publication. Consequently, the film will not enter the public domain in the United States until January 1, 2073. The rights are currently managed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as the successor in interest to United Artists.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office Online Catalog (cocatalog.loc.gov)
- Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures and Filmstrips 1977
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- IMDb - A Bridge Too Far (1977) Company Credits
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.