Public Domain
The Sadist
1963 · Fairway International Pictures · Dir. James Landis
Three people driving into Los Angeles for a Dodgers game have car trouble and pull off into an old wrecking yard where they are held at bay by a bloodthirsty psycho and his crazy girlfriend.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Sadist was released in June 1963 by Fairway International Pictures. Under the copyright laws applicable to works published between 1928 and 1963, a copyright term lasted 28 years and required a manual renewal with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year to extend protection. For a 1963 release, the renewal window occurred in 1991.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the US Copyright Office records (CCE) reveals no renewal filing for this motion picture. While commercial works from 1964 onward received automatic renewal, 1963 works remained subject to the mandatory renewal requirement. The failure to renew in 1991 resulted in the film entering the public domain on January 1, 1992.
Confirmation of its public domain status is supported by its widespread presence in the catalogs of public domain distributors such as Alpha Video and its inclusion in 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1960-1969)' by D. Richard Baer, which identifies the film as having lapsed copyright.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1960-1969) by D. Richard Baer
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.