Protected
Thieves' Highway
1949 · 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. · Dir. Jules Dassin
Nick Garcos comes back from his tour of duty in World War II planning to settle down with his girlfriend, Polly Faber. He learns, however, that his father was recently beaten and burglarized by mob-connected trucker Mike Figlia, and Nick resolves to get even. He partners with prostitute Rica, and together they go after Mike, all the while getting pulled further into the local crime underworld.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Thieves' Highway is a classic film noir directed by Jules Dassin and produced by 20th Century-Fox. Because it was released in 1949, it falls under the 1909 Copyright Act, which required a renewal registration during the 28th year of the original term (roughly 1976-1977) to remain protected.
Research indicates the copyright was successfully renewed. The original registration was filed on September 22, 1949 (LP2642), and the renewal was filed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. on September 8, 1977, under registration number R671175. This renewal extended the copyright protection to 95 years from the publication date, meaning the film will not enter the public domain in the United States until January 1, 2045.
Since the film was produced by a major studio (20th Century-Fox) and the rights have been consistently maintained by its successor, Disney, there is no evidence of the film being an orphan work. Its continued availability through official home media releases (Criterion Collection) and licensing confirms active commercial exploitation.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R671175)
- US Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) 1977, Volume 31, Part 12-13
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Library of Congress Motion Picture Copyright Descriptions Collection
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.