Kansas City Confidential

Kansas City Confidential (1952), a classic film noir by Phil Karlson, entered the public domain in the United States because its copyright was not renewed in the 28th year after publication. The film was originally registered by Associated Players and Producers on November 13, 1952, under registration number LP2114. Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of the initial term to extend protection to a total of 75 years (later 95). A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries confirms that no renewal was filed in 1979 or 1980. Consequently, the copyright expired at the end of its first 28-year term. The film's public domain status is well-documented in the industry; it is listed in the 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain' and is widely available from public domain distributors such as Alpha Video and Sinister Cinema, as well as on various legal public domain streaming archives.