Today in History - September 24: Tiny oversight cost beloved movie its copyright
Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn starring in Charade. Public Domain
A tiny oversight in the opening credits of a beloved movie led to it becoming public domain the moment it premiered on September 24, 1963.
Charade is a screwball romcom starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.
It can also be watched for free without the studio who made it having any recourse.
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Charade is described as the best Alfred Hitchcock movie not directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Public Domain
It's all due to a tiny oversight in the film's credits.
At the time, all US films needed a copyright notice to have legal protection.
And in Charade's credits, the film included what looked like that notice.
"MCMLXIII BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES COMPANY, INC. and STANLEY DONEN FILMS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED," the credits read in fine print.
But it was missing the word copyright, or even the symbol Ⓒ.
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The lack of a copyright symbol in its opening credits cost the movie its copyright. Public Domain
As a result, anyone could broadcast the movie, pirate it or upload it without paying Universal Pictures.
The film, which also starred Walter Matthau and James Coburn, can now be streamed for free on countless platforms, including YouTube and Wikipedia.
Several other prominent films also don't hold a valid copyright due to similar oversights.
Debbie Does Dallas, one of the world's most successful pornographic films, also failed to include a correct copyright notice.
But NFL team the Dallas Cowboys hold veto power over its publication because of unauthorised use of their trademarks.
Meanwhile, the classic film It's A Wonderful Life entered the public domain when the copyright was not renewed due to a clerical error in 1974.
But the studio managed to argue that the story was copyrighted because it was based on a previously published novella.
So anyone can use images from that film without permission, but not in a way that reveals the narrative.
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Night of the Living Dead set the style for every zombie film that followed it. Public Domain
And the seminal zombie film Night of the Living Dead lost its copyright when its distributor changed the name.
The filmmakers included the copyright on the original title under the name Night of the Flesh Eaters.
But when the distributor changed the name to Night of the Living Dead, they neglected to include the copyright.
Consequently, more than 200 distinct versions were released, mostly without permission, on VHS alone.
For more from our Today in History archive, click here
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