RE: It's A Wonderful Life: Copyright status

After the film became public domain and began to be freely broadcast, the owner of the copyright in the MUSIC for the film pointed out that, although the film was PD, the music was still under copyright. Thus anyone who wants to show the film now doesn't have to license the rights to the film, but DOES have to license the rights to publicly perform the still-protected music. That's why fewer people are showing the film now than were showing it immediately after it first became PD. I'm sorry I don't have any documentary references on this.

Robert C. Cumbow
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-----Original Message-----
From: acohen [mailto:acohen[_at_]llama.cnet.wnec.edu] Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 12:01 PM To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: It's A Wonderful Life: Copyright status

I recall reading that the copyright on the film "It's A Wonderful Life" had expired due to failure to renew. But I also recall reading that somehow the copyright in the screenplay or some other part of the film had not expired and that as a result, under cases such as Stewart v Abend, the film in effect is no longer freely available. Does anyone have any sources for this? Did I dream it, a la George Bailey in the film? I know that at one time the movie was broadcast on multiple stations, but that now only one network has the rights. I just don't recall how that evolved.

Thanks!

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