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[adam25]

Is there a good way to search whether certain films are still under copyright protection.  I've searched the US copyright site, but it only goes back so far before you have to call DC or go to the library of congress.

[Smokin]

Nope, not really. Its too bad the copyright office has not done a better job of making all their records available online.

Internet Archive though has alot of films in the public domain. You can check that out here: http://www.archive.org/details/movies

[CriterionD]

A reason you have limited ability to search "copyrights" is because there is usually limited or no reason to search them.  Copyright law protects against copying, technically what you create can be identical to something which is subject to another's copyright protection, and I believe that there is nothing even wrong with that if you can show that you did not copy or were influenced by the other party's work, and that the two works came out to be so similar by sheer chance.  Of course, if you do not copy someone else's work, it is very uncommon for there to be an appearance that you did.

Its also worth noting that while copyright registration can helo you in the event you must enforce your rights in a court of law, copyright protection tends to be automatic.  Determining whether or not a film is still under copyright protection involves not a copyright search, but rather an understanding of copyright law.  If you understand copyright law, you can then determine whether or not a film is in the public domain.

Here is one relevant resource:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries%27_copyright_length

[Isaac]

A reason you have limited ability to search "copyrights" is because there is usually limited or no reason to search them.

You don't need to search before registering your own copyright, but there are other reasons to search copyright office records.  In particular, you may want to identify the copyright owner of an existing work for licensing/permission purposes.  Additionally, if you are trying to identify whether a work has fallen into the public domain, details such as renewals, dates of publication, and registration details can be important, particularly for older works that date back to a time when copyright protection was not automatic.

Its also worth noting that while copyright registration can helo you in the event you must enforce your rights in a court of law, copyright protection tends to be automatic.

If you are creating works in the US, you cannot sue for infringement in a US court until you register (or at least file for registration).  You can register after the infringement occurs, but that may result in the loss of some remedies for infringement.

Determining whether or not a film is still under copyright protection involves not a copyright search, but rather an understanding of copyright law.  If you understand copyright law, you can then determine whether or not a film is in the public domain.

Figuring out whether a work is in the public domain is not as easy as you suggest.  To apply the law, you often need to know details that are available in Copyright Office records and often no place else.

[adam25]

Thank you, I had a professor suggest the route listed above, in that doing your own analysis is a pretty accurate way to determine protection.  However, my knowledge on the subject is limited, but I appreciate the resources everyone provided.

[mturk0001]

There are a number of sites where you can search for copyrights.  The following is a place you can start at besides the government's copyright office:

http://www.copyrightsearch.org

They have listings for a wide area of fields and as some organizations are beginning to do, are now adding in material for the years when there was only a twice yearly published list with no concrete way to search those copyrights.