Public Domain
Corruption
1933 · Imperial Distributing Corporation · Dir. Charles E. Roberts
A young lawyer is elected mayor of the city and promises to rid it of the corruption it's famous for. The problem is that most of the corruption he's vowed to eliminate is caused by the crooked political machine that helped elect him.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published in the United States between 1928 and 1963 required a timely copyright renewal in the 28th year of their first term to maintain protection. 'Corruption' was registered for copyright by Imperial Distributing Corp. on June 15, 1933 (registration number LP3946).
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database, the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), and the Hurst Film Superlist indicates that no renewal was filed for this film during its renewal window (1960–1961). Because the copyright was not renewed, the film entered the public domain in the United States upon the expiration of its initial 28-year term on June 15, 1961. The film is currently distributed by several public domain labels, including Alpha Video and Sinister Cinema, further corroborating its status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939, page 165
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (no record found for LP3946)
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- IMDb: Corruption (1933) - Release Info
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.