NitrateVille.com

The film itself is public domain, and restoration isn't copyrightable, so there's no reason not to.

Bigshot is correct that an edition which restores a work in the public domain to its exact original form is not subject to copyright protection. New creative work forms the basis of copyright. Fortunately for everyone's ability to try and recoup their large investment, much creative work went into the color edition of A TRIP TO THE MOON and I would hope that at least in the near term, the owners will be vigilant for rip-offs. Of course there would be nothing wrong with people making their own sound tracks to be played in timed relation to an authorized copy of the picture. Such things might be delightful. Years ago in Chicago, Second City used to do radio simulcasts of their own sound tracks to films playing at that moment on commercial television, and they were very funny.

David Shepard

Generally, the copyrightable new creative elements added to PD films are musical scores, sound effects (selection and placement only- sound effects are not copyrightable in themselves) and title card graphics.

In this case, though, I'd think the computer-colored frames would be considered copyrightable.

bigshot wrote:A doom march chase scene.

Have you listened to Israel's score? Do you think they're in the same league?

Have I ever once suggested that I think they're in the same league? That's not the issue here.

Doug Sulpy wrote:In this case, though, I'd think the computer-colored frames would be considered copyrightable.

Not unless the colorist could argue that he was creatively selecting colors and not just matching into the colors in adjacent frames.