Orson Welles-Citizen Kane1

Original property rights holder: RKO Radio Pictures
Source: Scan from personal collection

Public domain explanation

• The image was distributed as a promotional photograph in the U.S. in 1941 for use by the general media, satisfying the definition of "publication." There is no evidence that it was distributed with copyright notice, as then required for copyright protection.
• A search of copyright renewal records for 1969 and 1970 ([1], [2], [3], [4]) reveals that no renewal was filed as would have been required to maintain copyright protection, if any, on any bound collection of material that might encompass this photograph.
• There is no evidence that RKO Pictures LLC, the corporate heir to the original property rights holder, claims copyright on the image.