Copyright and the Public Domain

kentaddick

Just finishing off post production on a short film, and as i know there's some addicks on here that know their legal stuff, I was just wondering if anyone knew of any old films in the public domain in the UK? Just for a scene when one of the characters is watching tv. The hope is to eventually put this through film festivals and i need all the legal stuff to be watertight. I looked it up online but there seems to be a lot about public domain in the USA but not here.

Cheers.

Wilma

Lots of stuff on copyright generally on the Intellectual Property Office website. There are a lot of different exceptions where you can use copyrighted material, but it depends on what it is and what you're using it for. Check the IPO site and it should have detail there.

If you just need to find a film clip, try searching Google for copyright free film/image etc. Usually lots of stuff comes up.

BlackForestReds

Try:

http://retrofilmvault.com/

I've a feeling that most British films published before 31st December 1945 are in the PD, however the above link is for US films (or appears to be) as far as I know if films are in the US PD then they are here as well. However you need to check on a film by film basis as sometimes the copyright might have been extended for that work in the UK/EU and not in the US or it might have been released later in the UK etc than in the US and might still have some time left before it enters the PD. This isn't helped by the UK and US having different rules on copyright for a number of years.

maybe_baby

Best of luck KA...a lot of grey area stuff ahead.

kentaddick

Thanks people, found a couple of brilliant royalty and copyright free music and audio sites that have saved my backside! Will keep what you've said in mind though, if anyone's interested I might post the teaser trailer at the end of the week.