Protected
Ball of Fire
1941 · Samuel Goldwyn Productions · Dir. Howard Hawks
A group of academics have spent years shut up in a house working on the definitive encyclopedia. When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language. Here he meets Sugarpuss O’Shea, a nightclub singer, who’s on top of all the slang—and, it just so happens, needs a place to stay.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Ball of Fire (1941) was originally registered for US copyright by Samuel Goldwyn under registration number LP11041. Under the laws governing works from 1928 to 1963, a 28th-year renewal was required to maintain protection. The film was successfully renewed in 1969 by Samuel Goldwyn under renewal number R459529.
Because the copyright was timely renewed, it remains under protection for the full 95-year term for works of this era. As a result, the film's copyright is set to expire on January 1, 2037. The rights are currently managed by the successor-in-interest to Samuel Goldwyn Productions, which is MGM (a subsidiary of Amazon/Amazon MGM Studios).
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R459529)
- U Penn Catalog of Copyright Entries (LP11041)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (ID: 26615)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1940-1949)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.