Protected
Thunder on the Hill
1951 · Universal Pictures · Dir. Douglas Sirk
Sister Mary presides over a convent where a convicted murderess, who is being escorted to Death Row, is stranded by bad weather. She is slowly becoming convinced that Valerie is innocent so Sister Mary sets about to clear the girl and bring the real killer to justice.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Thunder on the Hill, directed by Douglas Sirk, was released in 1951. Under the copyright laws governing works published between 1928 and 1963, a work required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during its 28th year to extend protection to the full 95-year term.
Research of renewal records confirms that Universal Pictures (Universal City Studios, Inc.) timely renewed the copyright for this film. The original registration was LP1184 on September 3, 1951. It was renewed on July 23, 1979, under registration number RE0000030095 (referencing the original title and registration). Because this renewal was successfully filed, the film remains under copyright protection in the United States until 95 years after its publication date, which will be December 31, 2046.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office Public Catalog (RE0000030095 / 1979-07-23)
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1950-1959
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.