The 1954 Liz Taylor movie, "The Last Time I Saw Paris" entered the public domain 10 years early because the copyright notice had an error

[frauenfelder]

Originally published at: The 1954 Liz Taylor movie, "The Last Time I Saw Paris" entered the public domain 10 years early because the copyright notice had an error | Boing Boing

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[danimagoo]

That’s interesting. The studio must not have realized the error until years after it entered the public domain, because, prior to 1976, copyright terms were 28 years and could be renewed for a 2nd term of 28 years. So, had they noticed the error before it entered the public domain, they could have renewed it, and then when copyright terms were expanded in 1976 and again with the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act, the movie would still be under copyright. That was an expensive Roman numeral error.

[simonize]

Arguably, if an incorrect date counts as “published without propper notice,” than it was never protected by copyright.

[euansmith]

It looks like it’s worth watching just because Elizabeth Taylor Roger Moore is so beautiful.

[PsiPhiGrrrl]

@euansmith

It looks like it’s worth watching

I always link this movie with Camille in my mind…

[babVU98i]

Both statements make me uncomfortable. In this context we celebrate appearance and in other contexts it’s objectification. I’m confused.

[euansmith]

I started from the “Oh, that sounds sexist and objectifying” point of view; but then I saw how dashing Moore looked in the movie. So, yes, my comment was conflicted and confusing. Sorry about that.

[babVU98i]

Thanks for that but I wasn’t looking for apologies or trying to call anyone out. Fwiw, I think Liz and Roger do look beautiful too. But I’m conflicted about it.

[euansmith]

Apropos of nothing, I always draw a distinction between Beautiful and Attractive. I think that of Beauty as being rather bland, and attractiveness as having character, and so being more “attractive”.

Beautiful

Attractive