Dark City

The film 'Dark City' was released in 1950 and directed by William Dieterle for Hal Wallis Productions and Paramount Pictures. Under the copyright laws governing the 1928-1963 window, a work entered the public domain after 28 years unless the copyright was formally renewed. Research of the copyright renewal records (Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and Catalog of Copyright Entries) confirms that this film was successfully renewed. The original registration was LP457 on October 6, 1950. The renewal was filed on November 14, 1977, under registration number RE000000216 by Paramount Pictures, the successor in interest to Hal Wallis Productions. Because the renewal was filed within the statutory 28th year window, the copyright was extended for an additional period (now 95 years from release under current law). The film remains under copyright protection in the United States and is not scheduled to enter the public domain until January 1, 2046. It is currently actively licensed and distributed by Paramount Pictures, with recent high-definition releases through labels like Olive Films, further confirming its protected status.