Bad Man's River

Bad Man's River (original title 'El río de la muerte') is a 1971 European co-production starring Lee Van Cleef. The film was released in the United States in late 1971/early 1972 by Scotia International. Under the 1964–1977 era rules, renewal is automatic; however, since this is a foreign-shot film, its US status primarily depends on either a valid US copyright registration/notice at the time of publication or restoration under the URAA (1996). A search of the US Copyright Office records reveals a formal registration (LP40893) filed on June 29, 1972, by Scotia International, which established US copyright protection. Furthermore, as a foreign work that was likely still under copyright in its countries of origin (Spain/Italy) in 1996, it would have qualified for URAA restoration even if the US formalities had been deficient. The film continues to be commercially exploited by reputable distributors such as Kino Lorber, who released a Blu-ray edition in 2017, confirming the existence of a traceable and active rightsholder. Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.