The Italian Connection

The Italian Connection (original Italian title: 'La mala ordina') is a 1972 crime film directed by Fernando Di Leo. As a foreign production, its US copyright status is governed by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), which automatically restored US copyright for eligible foreign works on January 1, 1996. To qualify for restoration, the work must have been in the public domain in the US due to non-compliance with formalities (such as lack of notice or registration) but still under copyright in its source country (Italy) on the restoration date. Under Italian law, cinematographic works are protected for 70 years after the death of the last surviving author (director, screenwriter, or composer). Since Fernando Di Leo passed away in 2003, the film remains under copyright in Italy well past 1996. Consequently, even if the film entered the US public domain in the 1970s due to a lack of a valid US copyright notice or registration, its copyright was restored under 17 USC §104A. The film is currently actively licensed and distributed in the US by Raro Video and Kino Lorber, further indicating a clear and active chain of title.