Protected
China
1943 · Paramount Pictures · Dir. John Farrow
Shortly before Pearl Harbor, American opportunist Jones and partner Johnny are in China to sell oil to the invading Japanese army. Cynical about the sufferings of the Chinese, Jones meets compassionate teacher Carolyn Grant while travelling cross-country to Shanghai. Sparks fly between these strong-willed characters, neither budging an inch. But when Jones witnesses a Japanese atrocity, his feelings toward his customers (and Carolyn) begin to change...
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
China (1943), a war drama starring Loretta Young and Alan Ladd, was registered for copyright by Paramount Pictures, Inc. on March 19, 1943, under registration number LP11993. As a film released between 1928 and 1963, its copyright status depended on a timely renewal filing during the 28th year of its first term.
According to the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), the copyright was successfully renewed by EMKA, Ltd. on August 20, 1970, under renewal number R490169. EMKA, Ltd. is the successor-in-interest for the pre-1950 Paramount sound feature library (a division now owned by NBCUniversal/Universal Pictures). Because the renewal was properly filed, the film's copyright was extended for a second term and now falls under the protection of the 1976 Copyright Act, granting it a total of 95 years of protection from the date of publication. It will not enter the public domain in the United States until January 1, 2039.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R490169)
- Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912–1939 and 1940–1949
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer)
- IMDb: China (1943)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.