Can you remake a public domain film

For instance, if you make a film based on Romeo and Juliet , you could copyright your film as it would undoubtedly include original elements aside from the public domain material. As a result of that copyright protection, no one would be able to copy, sell, distribute, adapt or perform your work without your permission.

On the other hand, however, you could not prevent someone else from using the underlying public domain work to make his or her own Romeo and Juliet film. In creating your interpretation, you obviously need to respect that copyright protection and not copy or use any part of a copyrighted work. Consistently recognized as a Rising Star by Los Angeles Magazine, Spanier has successfully prosecuted and defended cases involving claims for trademark infringement, copyright infringement, defamation, unfair competition and contractual disputes arising in a wide range of industries.

Spanier has also represented individuals and companies in fraud and contractual business disputes and has represented individuals in family law disputes. She has represented individuals including managers and directors and agencies and corporations including International Creative Management, Inc and Mattel.

The information provided in the articles is not intended to create a lawyer-client relationship between KWIKA and you. The opinions expressed in the postings are the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of KWIKA, its employees or agents.

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A typical film production, even a relatively small, independent one, often sprouts from the initiative of Connect with us. Best of luck with your project. Continue Reading. Click to comment. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.

More in Cinema Law. Not all scientific publishers work under this kind of copyright scheme. Most of the works highlighted here are famous — that is why we included them. And if that fame meant that the work was still being exploited commercially 28 years after its publication, the rights holders would probably renew the copyright. This is true for many of the works featured on this page, though even the shorter copyright term exceeds the commercial lifespan of a surprising percentage of successful works.

That means that all these examples from are only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine what that would mean to our archives, our libraries, our schools and our culture.

Such works could be digitized, preserved, and made available for education, for research, for future creators. Instead, they will remain under copyright for decades to come, perhaps even into the next century. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the current copyright term is that in most cases, the cultural harm is not offset by any benefit to an author or rights holder.

Unlike the famous works highlighted here, the vast majority of works from do not retain commercial value. The public loses the possibility of meaningful access for no good reason. You can read more about the current costs associated with orphan works — works that are still presumably under copyright, but with no identifiable copyright holder — here and here. Many works published in are already in the public domain because the copyright holder did not comply with notice, renewal, or other copyright formalities.

However, tracking down this information can be difficult you can read just one of many illustrative examples collected by the Copyright Office here. Therefore, users often have to presume these works are copyrighted or risk a lawsuit only works published before are conclusively in the public domain.

It is also difficult to determine whether foreign works are in the public domain in the U. Generally speaking, as a result of international agreements, foreign works published after are still under copyright in the US as long as one of the following is true: they were published in compliance with US formalities, they were still copyrighted in their home countries as of , or they were then published in the US within 30 days of publication abroad.

You can learn more about copyright terms for foreign works from the Copyright Office guide here. His Girl Friday just might be the crown jewel of the entire screwball comedy sub-genre.

The chemistry, both romantic and comedic, between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell is explosive. The dialogue is whip-sharp and delivered with such ferocious speed that its a wonder the actors managed to get all of their lines out without choking on their tongues. His Girl Friday is a complicated public domain case as copyright over the film has lapsed, but the play it's based upon remains copyrighted, meaning that, technically speaking, the visuals of the film are in the public domain but not the writing is not.

Charade has often been described as the best Alfred Hitchcock film that Alfred Hitchcock never made. Charade is equal parts thrilling, intriguing, and hilarious. Charade found itself landing in the public domain immediately upon its release in on the smallest of technicalities.

Jimmy Stewart is in top form and the entire supporting cast plays their parts perfectly. This Frank Capra film is one that everyone should see at least once in their life, an absolute classic.

The film initially entered the public domain due to a clerical error that prevented the copyright from being renewed. Ownership over the film has been the subject of multiple court cases and since copyright was maintained over the short story The Greatest Gift , courts ruled in favor of the film as the property of the Republic Pictures Corporation. Alongside Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton helped to define the silent film era.

Despite the universal acclaim these days, the film was considered a disappointment upon release as critics met it harshly, and audiences were clamoring for the end of the silent comedy era with talkies right around the corner.

The General was one of the very first films deemed culturally significant by the Library of Congress and is frequently cited as one of the greatest achievements in American filmmaking. There would be no zombie genre as we know it without George A. This is a monumental film for the horror genre, for independent filmmaking, and for black representation in film.

The cultural and historical importance of Night of the Living Dead cannot be overstated. Speaking of Night of the Living Dead , there are a lot of great zombie movies out there, and we ranked the best of them. Create robust and customizable shot lists.

Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows. Previous Post. Next Post. A visual medium requires visual methods. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? Skip to content. Open domain movies Why are certain films public domain? Copyright free movies Manos: The Hands of Fate Public domain films Conclusion You might get the best experience out of Manos: The Hands of Fate by watching with a group of friends or by laughing along to one of the humorous commentary tracks made for the film.

Science fiction public domain movies Plan 9 From Outer Space The full film is available on YouTube. Public domain Christmas movies Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Mystery Science Theater provides commentary. Best public domain movies One-Eyed Jacks Marlon Brando directing and starring. Best public domain films A Star is Born The original telling of this story. When do movies become public domain Conclusion A Star is Born was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won two of them, including an honorary award for cinematographer W.

Public domain movies list The Outlaw Enjoy the full film right on YouTube. Public domain movies download Conclusion The film was re-released in , and this time it was a smash hit, making back its pricey budget and then some. Public domain horror movies A Bucket of Blood From prolific filmmaker Roger Corman.

List of all public domain movies Cyrano de Bergerac Not the first and not the last telling of this classic story. Public domain movies download Conclusion A fictionalized behind-the-scenes events of the initial play was released in under the title Cyrano, My Love.

A Farewell to Arms The first film telling of the iconic novel. Public domain films Maniac Public domain sci fi movies The Little Shop of Horrors In stark contrast to the 80s version. The Hitch-Hiker From director Ida Lupino. Films out of copyright Conclusion As the first female-director film noir in the world, The Hitch-Hiker leaves behind an important legacy in addition to being a solid film on its own merits.

What movies are public domain The only animated film on our list. Public domain full movies