Contraband

The film 'Contraband' (alternatively known as 'Contrabando' in Spanish markets), released in 1958, is a US production directed by Lawrence Louis Goldman. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a copyright renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first term to remain protected for a second term. A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no record of a renewal for this title or its production entity (Cine-Service). Given that approximately 85% of films from this era failed to renew copyright, and this specific low-budget production lacks any record of a renewal filing in 1985 or 1986, the work has entered the public domain in the United States. It is frequently listed in various public domain film databases and has been distributed by PD-specialist labels without legal challenge.