Protected
The Devil's Own
1966 · Hammer Film Productions / Seven Arts · Dir. Cyril Frankel
Following a nervous breakdown, Gwen takes up the job of head teacher in the small village of Haddaby. There she can benefit from the tranquillity and peace, enabling her to recover fully. But under the facade of idyllic country life she slowly unearths the frightening reality of village life in which the inhabitants are followers of a menacing satanic cult with the power to inflict indiscriminate evil and death if crossed.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Devil's Own' (also known by its original UK title 'The Witches') was a British production by Hammer Film Productions. It was registered for copyright in the United States by Seven Arts Productions (International) Ltd. on December 1, 1966, under registration number LP33658. This registration was subsequently renewed according to US Copyright Office records (Renewal Registration RE-680-459, dated December 5, 1994, by Warner Bros., as the successor in interest to Seven Arts).
Under the Copyright Act of 1909 and the subsequent 1976 Act, the film required a renewal in its 28th year to maintain protection. Because the renewal was filed correctly in 1994, the copyright was extended. Furthermore, as a foreign work that was still under copyright in its source country (UK) on January 1, 1996, it would also be subject to protection or restoration under the URAA (17 USC § 104A) if the US registration had been defective, though in this case, the US chain of title remained intact regardless. The 1997 film of the same name is also protected by default as a post-1989 work.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- US Copyright Office Online Database (cocatalog.loc.gov)
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures and Filmstrips
- IMDb
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.