Let It Be

The film 'Let It Be' was released in 1970, placing it under the mandatory renewal rules for works published with copyright notice prior to 1964, but since it was released after 1963 (specifically in 1970), it falls into the 1964–1977 window where US copyright renewal is automatic. However, because it is a UK production, its status in the US is primarily governed by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). Under the URAA, foreign works that were still under protection in their source country on January 1, 1996, had their US copyrights automatically restored, even if they had previously fallen into the public domain in the US due to lack of compliance with formalities like copyright notice. In the United Kingdom, films are protected for 70 years after the death of the last surviving principal creator. As members of the Beatles and director Michael Lindsay-Hogg are either still living or passed away recently, the film remains under copyright in the UK. This triggered a restoration of US rights. Furthermore, the film was registered with the US Copyright Office by Apple Corps Ltd. (Registration No. PA0000001046) and has been subject to intense commercial control, including a high-profile 2024 restoration and re-release on Disney+, which confirms active rights management by the original successor in interest.