Protected
An American in Paris
1951 · Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) · Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Jerry Mulligan is an exuberant American expatriate in Paris trying to make a reputation as a painter. His friend Adam is a struggling concert pianist who's a long time associate of a famous French singer, Henri Baurel. A lonely society woman, Milo Roberts, takes Jerry under her wing and supports him, but is interested in more than his art.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works released between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing in the 28th year of their first term to maintain protection. 'An American in Paris' was registered for copyright by Loew's Inc. (the parent company of MGM) on August 6, 1951, under registration number LP1161.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries confirms that the copyright was successfully renewed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. on June 18, 1979, under renewal number RE0000030508. This renewal extended the copyright term to 95 years from the date of publication. As a result, the film's US copyright is currently active and will not expire until January 1, 2047.
The film is currently owned and actively exploited by Warner Bros. (via Turner Entertainment Co.), which acquired the pre-1986 MGM library. There are no indications of orphan status as the chain of title is well-documented and the current rights holder is commercially active.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (record RE0000030508)
- U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1950-1959
- IMDb - An American in Paris (1951)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1950-1959 edition)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.