Public Domain
Crime of the Century
1946 · Republic Pictures · Dir. Philip Ford
Ex-convict Hank Rogers is searching for his brother Jim, a newspaperman, and becomes involved with a group of people trying to conceal the death of the president of a large corporation so they can profit financially. With the aid of the dead man's daughter, Audrey Brandon, Hank exposes the crooks.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Crime of the Century', directed by Philip Ford and produced by Republic Pictures, was released in the United States on February 28, 1946. It was originally registered for US copyright on March 15, 1946, under registration number LP220 (Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures, 1940–1949). Under the law governing works from the 1928–1963 era, the copyright was valid for an initial term of 28 years and required a formal renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year to extend protection.
Searches of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database, the University of Pennsylvania's online CCE records, and the David Pierce renewal index confirm that no renewal was filed for this title by Republic Pictures or its successors (such as National Telefilm Associates). According to the 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894–1939; 1940–1949)', the film entered the public domain in 1974 when the initial copyright term expired without renewal. The film is currently widely available in public domain collections and on various archive platforms without copyright enforcement.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1940-1949
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1940-1949) by D. Richard Baer
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1941-1950)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.