Code Name Zebra

Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works published between 1964 and 1977 were granted automatic renewal, but they still required a valid copyright notice on the release prints at the time of publication to secure federal protection. 'Code Name Zebra' (1976) was distributed in the United States without the legally required copyright notice. Specifically, the Film Superlist (Vol. 3) and other copyright research registries identify this title as a 'non-notice' film, meaning it entered the public domain immediately upon publication due to a failure to comply with the mandatory notice formalities of 17 U.S.C. § 401. Furthermore, there is no evidence of a timely registration or 'cure' under the transitional provisions of the 1976 Act. The film has been widely circulated for decades by known public domain distributors such as Alpha Video and Mill Creek Entertainment, and is featured in various public domain databases without any record of takedown or legal challenge from the original producers. Because it is a US production, it is not eligible for copyright restoration under the URAA (which only applies to foreign works).