Protected
Chasing Rainbows
1930 · Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) · Dir. Charles Reisner
The road-show troupe of a top Broadway show go cross-country while taking the audience along on the on-stage scenes as well as what happens and is happening back stage of the production. The spectacular dancing ensembles and colorful costumes and pulchritude on-stage offers a contrasting background to the drabness of the backstage, where joy, sorrow, tragedies, deception, and romance are intertwined.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Chasing Rainbows was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in early 1930. Because it was published between 1928 and 1963, its copyright status in the United States depended on whether a valid copyright renewal was filed in the 28th year following its registration.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries confirms that a renewal was filed for this film. The original registration was LP991 (dated January 13, 1930) and the renewal was filed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. on December 11, 1957, under record number R204229. This active renewal prevents the film from entering the public domain.
Under current U.S. copyright law, specifically the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act, works from 1930 that were successfully renewed are protected for 95 years from the date of publication. Consequently, the film will not enter the public domain in the United States until January 1, 2026.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R204229)
- U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries: Cumulative series; Motion pictures, 1912-1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1893-1993)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939 (Hurst / Baer)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.