Protected
Gone with the Pope
2010 · Grindhouse Releasing · Dir. Duke Mitchell
"Gone With The Pope" was filmed entirely in 1976, but left unedited with large amounts of what was believed to be lost footage until 2010 due to Duke Mitchell's untimely death. Duke Mitchell stars as Paul, a gangster who's just been released from prison and is offered 100,000 dollars from the mafia to take out seven men. He reluctantly agrees, in order to give himself and his friends a better, clean life outside of prison, but he can't seem to leave his old ways behind, resulting in a plot to kidnap the Pope for a ransom of fifty cents from every Catholic in the world.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Although 'Gone with the Pope' was originally filmed in 1976 by writer/director/star Duke Mitchell, it remained unfinished and unreleased at the time of his death in 1981. The footage was eventually discovered and professionally completed by Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing. The film had its world premiere at the American Cinematheque in 2010 and was subsequently released on home video and streaming.
Under US copyright law, because the work was never 'published' in the 1970s and was only first published/released in 2010, it falls under the rules for works created but not published or registered before January 1, 1978. For such works, the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. Since Duke Mitchell died in 1981, the work is protected through at least 2051. Furthermore, as a post-1989 release, it is protected regardless of notice or registration formalities under the Berne Convention implementation. The film is actively managed and distributed by Grindhouse Releasing.
Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.