Book excerpt: This annotated reference provides information on the copyright status of over 20,000 features, short films, television programs, and documentaries. The United States copyright system allows a film to fall into the public domain if a renewal is not filed in the twenty-eighth year after its release. Such public domain films may be used by anyone for free, but finding out which films are or are not still under copyright can be expensive and tedious. This guide alleviates that expense and drudgery by including all motion pictures registered for copyright in the 1950s, as well as 500 that were received after 1959. The book also includes an overview of the copyright system and sample certificates. All renewals of copyrights are noted, allowing readers to clearly see which items are or are not in the public domain.