Protected
Call Northside 777
1948 · Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. · Dir. Henry Hathaway
In 1932, a cop is killed and Frank Wiecek sentenced to life. Eleven years later, a newspaper ad by Frank's mother leads Chicago reporter P.J. O'Neal to look into the case. For some time, O'Neal continues to believe Frank guilty. But when he starts to change his mind, he meets increased resistance from authorities unwilling to be proved wrong.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Call Northside 777 was released in 1948 and falls under the 1909 Copyright Act, which required a renewal filing in the 28th year of the initial term. The film was originally registered for copyright on February 18, 1948 (Registration No. LP1614). A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the US Copyright Office records confirms that the copyright was successfully renewed on May 1, 1975 (Renewal No. R604515) by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Because the film was renewed before the 1964 requirement for automatic renewal, its copyright was extended for a second term. Under the 1976 Copyright Act and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, this renewal granted the work a total of 95 years of protection from the original publication date. Therefore, the film will not enter the public domain in the United States until January 1, 2044. The film remains under the active management of Disney (via its acquisition of 20th Century Fox) and is frequently licensed for home media and streaming.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R604515)
- U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (LP1614)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.