Public domain film

A public domain film is a motion picture that lacks copyright protection, most often because its copyright term has expired; because copyright terms vary by country, the same film can be protected in one country while being in the public domain in another, as with Metropolis, a 1927 film that entered United States public domain in 2023 but remains protected in European Union countries until 2046. Some films, such as Night of the Living Dead, entered the public domain because of a technical failure such as an improper copyright notice, and creators may also deliberately release a film into the public domain. Restored, subtitled or dubbed versions of a public domain film can themselves carry their own copyright, adding complexity for anyone seeking to use the underlying work. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/