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Poster: starzinger Date: Jul 19, 2005 10:39pm
Forum: feature_films Subject: King of the Rocket Men

I found the website for this prequel to "Radar Men from the Moon" yesterday, and now today it's gone?

The link was:
http://www.archive.org/details/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949

I'm just wondering where it has gone, and will it ever be back?

Thanks in advance,
starzinger

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Poster: AlecWest Date: Aug 10, 2006 7:00pm
Forum: feature_films Subject: Re: King of the Rocket Men

starzinger, I'm the guy who uploaded KING OF THE ROCKET MEN. And, though the details page has been removed, the actual files have not. However, "permissions" were changed making them impossible to download: http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap01.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap02.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap03.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap04.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap05.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap06.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap07.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap08.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap09.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap10.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap11.mpeg http://ia311507.us.archive.org/2/items/King_of_the_Rocket_Men_1949/king_chap12.mpeg The "details" page has merely removed the information part of the upload and gives links to both the FTP and HTTP directories where the film files still exist. I did a LOCIS search at the Copyright Office earlier today. There is NO RECORD of an existing copyright on KING OF THE ROCKET MEN. I have therefore sent an "error" report to Archive support asking who, specifically, said this film was copyrighted - and what evidence they used to substantiate their claim. Frankly, I suspect the complaint came from an entrepreneur who sells DVD copies of PD films and has a financial stake in the film being taken offline.
This post was modified by AlecWest on 2006-08-11 02:00:52

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Poster: ttowery Date: Jul 19, 2005 11:41pm
Forum: feature_films Subject: Re: King of the Rocket Men

I was downloading a chapter yesterday about 11am CST and when I went back to get the next chapter it disappeared. I also would like to know if it will return.

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Poster: A/V Geek Skip Date: Jul 20, 2005 10:00am
Forum: feature_films Subject: Re: King of the Rocket Men

Unfortunately, that serial was not in public domain.

Skip

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Poster: AlecWest Date: Aug 10, 2006 6:39pm
Forum: feature_films Subject: Re: King of the Rocket Men

I wish I'd seen this post a year ago, Skip. Since I'm the guy who uploaded that serial, could you do me a favor? Go to the Copyright Office's LOCIS search and find me a record on KING OF THE ROCKET MEN. It isn't there!!! No record, no copyright. Does the Archive take down a film based on a simple complaint - without asking for rights verification? If so, I wonder if some of those complaints come from entrepreneurs who SELL public-domain films on DVD and have a financial stake in seeing it offline.
This post was modified by AlecWest on 2006-08-11 01:39:23

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Poster: A/V Geek Skip Date: Aug 11, 2006 10:37am
Forum: feature_films Subject: Re: King of the Rocket Men

First two Rocketman series were renewed (King of the Rocketmen in 1976, R645401, R645406, R645411; Zombies - see LOCIS records below), the last wasn't. I don't know why the last one wasn't, but when looking at film series, some films get renewed and some don't - maybe because it was a mistake or a particular film wasn't so lucrative.

Alec, I do copyright searches on a volunteer basis for the Internet Archive. It cost $150/hr to have the Copyright Office make such searches. I'm doing this because I want public domain films to be freely available to the public. But I also want to make sure that we aren't posting anything that is still under copyright (even though I have A LOT of problems with the copyright laws).

I've never received a request by any DVD producer to take films down. I go to LOCIS and if that database doesn't have the info, I look to the Film Superlists or elsewhere for foreign titles. I don't enjoy having folks material taken down which is why, I ask that they contact me first so I can check before all the time and energy is wasted.

------------------------------

Registration Number: RE-67-072
Title: Zombies of the stratosphere. Episodes no. 7-12. By aRepublic Productions, Inc.
Claimant: Repix, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Telefilm Associates, Inc.) (PWH)
Effective Registration Date: 6Oct80
Original Registration Date: 2Jul52;
Original Registration Number: LP2099.
Original Class: L

Registration Number: RE-67-073
Title: Zombies of the stratosphere. Episodes no. 1-6. By aRepublic Productions, Inc.
Claimant: Repix, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Telefilm Associates, Inc.) (PWH)
Effective Registration Date: 6Oct80
Original Registration Date: 2Jul52;
Original Registration Number: LP1989.
Original Class: L

Reply [edit]

Poster: AlecWest Date: Aug 11, 2006 11:35am
Forum: feature_films Subject: Re: King of the Rocket Men

Skip,

First, let me say that it's obvious I've been ranting about something you know much more about ... and that my suppositions were flawed. I apologize if you took offense.

You wrote: "King of the Rocketmen in 1976, R645401, R645406, R645411;..."

According to the Copyright Office, records are assigned one of nine possible 2-or-3 letter prefixes - PA, PAU, RE, SR, SRU, TX, TXU, VA, VAU. Did the single-letter prefixes you just mentioned come from a "superlist?"

You wrote: "the last wasn't."

Well, actually it was. RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON, the serial currently online at the Archive, merely had its name changed by Republic Pictures. They turned the 12-chapter serial into a 12-episode TV series titled:

COMMANDO CODY - SKY MARSHALL OF THE UNIVERSE

The copyright record numbers are RE88812-RE88825 (with a few numbers missing in between). It's on LOCIS, last recorded in 1981.

But please don't take it down if no one has complained (grin).

You wrote: "I ask that they contact me first so I can check before all the time and energy is wasted."

Perhaps the create page should be changed, then, so uploaders can first submit the basic information on the title to be uploaded ... so it can be checked first, as you say, instead of encouraging people to upload (as the page currently does) only to disappoint some later. This would seem the prudent thing to do since most people only have access to LOCIS (and not the superlists). And sometimes, even LOCIS can provide conflicting data.

Example. Recently, I checked LOCIS for the title, "The Dark At the Top of the Stairs," the 1960 film starring Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire. LOCIS showed no record so (sigh) I uploaded the film:

http://www.archive.org/details/TheDarkAtTheTopOfTheStairs

Later, after some discussion with others about LOCIS, I did a second search ... this time, removing the first "The" in the title. And sure enough, there it was. Oddly, the copyright record (RE381047, 1988) is listed as "The Dark At the Top of the Stairs" ... but it can only be found in a search for "Dark At the Top of the Stairs."

I sent an "error" report, telling them I found a copyright record ... but never got an autoreply back from it. So, I'm wondering if they got the report. Anyway, it's still online and should not be.

Reply [edit]

Poster: AlecWest Date: Aug 11, 2006 12:30pm
Forum: feature_films Subject: P.S.

That was quick. "The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs" came down just in the last few minutes. Sorry I even uploaded the thing. But, I did do a LOCIS search first ... just didn't search for it under its abbreviated title without the first "The".

P.S. Got a note back from my librarian. My local library carries two reference books listing all public domain films from 1894 through 1949. And you're right - they aren't cheap:

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&y=9&tn=film+superlist&x=74