Protected
A Woman Under the Influence
1974 · Faces International Films · Dir. John Cassavetes
Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, works first published or registered between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977, are granted an automatic renewal term of 67 years, for a total of 95 years of protection from the date of publication with notice or registration. 'A Woman Under the Influence' was released in 1974 by John Cassavetes' production company, Faces International Films, and carries a valid copyright notice in its credits.
While the US Copyright Office online database (which covers 1978 onwards) might not show the original 1974 filing, the work is documented in the Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) and was effectively registered (LP44275). Furthermore, the film is actively managed by the Cassavetes estate and under license to major distributors such as The Criterion Collection, which released a restored version in 2004. There is no evidence of a defect in notice or lack of registration that would have injected the film into the public domain during the transition between the 1909 and 1976 Acts.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE)
- US Copyright Office Online Catalog (CoCatalog)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Criterion Collection - A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.