Public Domain
American Empire
1942 · United Artists / Harry Sherman Productions · Dir. William C. McGann
Richard Dix as Dan Taylor and Preston S. Foster as Paxton Bryce are two longtime friends seeking their fortune in Texas after the war. The two men decide, not without problems, to establish a cattle empire. Paxton becoming too ambitious, distances himself from Dan and Abby, Paxton's wife. It will only be after a personal tragedy that he will come back to his senses.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
American Empire was released in December 1942 and was a US production by Harry Sherman Productions, distributed by United Artists. The film was originally registered for copyright on December 11, 1942, under the registration number LP11762 by Harry Sherman Productions. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing in the 28th year of the initial term to remain protected.
Comprehensive searches of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) indicate that no renewal was ever filed for this title by the original claimant or its successors. Furthermore, the film is cited in the 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain' (Hurst/Baer) as a work that entered the public domain due to non-renewal. Consequently, the copyright expired at the end of its first 28-year term in 1970, placing the work in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) 1942, Series 3, Parts 12-13, Vol 39, p. 106
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (Search: American Empire)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1940-1949), Hurst/Baer
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1941-1950)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.