# RightsAtlas Research Packet — Any Old Port! (1930)

> ⚠️ **NOT legal advice.** This is a primary-source research packet describing **United States** copyright status only. It is not a clearance certificate and not a DMCA counter-notification. Verify independently before any platform dispute.

**Scope:** Tier A — **film-print layer only**. Music, story, trademark, and restorations are NOT cleared by this packet.
**Packet version:** `2026-09-19-c2bade8`  ·  **Generated:** 2026-10-05  ·  **Country:** US  ·  **Last verified:** 2026-09-19

## ⚠️ Sound recordings (pre-1972)
Sound recordings fixed before **15 Feb 1972** can be protected under state law / the Music Modernization Act until **2067 or later** — the film *print* being public domain does **not** free the music track. Assume the recorded score is a claim risk.

## Film print — Verified public domain
- **renewal_absence_search:** No entry for 'Any Old Port' or any variant found in the 1958 Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series Parts 12–13 (Motion Pictures), which covers renewal filings for films originally copyrighted ca. 1930. Title is absent from the A-section where it would appear alphabetically, between 'Another Time, Another Place' and 'Ansel Adams on Photography'. — [Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Parts 12–13: Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, Jan–Dec 1958 (Vol. 12 No. 1–2), Library of Congress Copyright Office](https://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyrig3121213li)
- **renewal_absence_search:** No entry for 'Any Old Port' found in the 1959 Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series Parts 12–13 (Motion Pictures), which covers renewal filings due in 1959 for films originally copyrighted in 1932 (the 28th-year window under the 1909 Act). Title absent from A-section; entries jump from 'Another Day, Another Doormat' to 'Appointment with a Shadow'. — [Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Parts 12–13: Motion Pictures and Filmstrips, Jan–Dec 1959 (Vol. 13 No. 1–2), Library of Congress Copyright Office](https://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyrig3131213li)
- **research_note:** Queue records year as 1930, but the film's theatrical release was March 5, 1932 (IMDb tt0022630, directed by James W. Horne, produced by Hal Roach). Whether the original copyright was registered in 1930 (for a pre-production element) or 1932 (on theatrical release), both possible renewal windows (1957–58 and 1959) are searched and clear above. Wikipedia's Laurel and Hardy filmography column explicitly lists this title as 'Public Domain', consistent with non-renewal for all nine 1932 Hal Roach L&H shorts. — [Wikipedia – Laurel and Hardy filmography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_and_Hardy_filmography)

> Published 1930: US copyright term (95 years) has expired for works published through 1930 — the film print is public domain in the US by term expiry, regardless of country of origin.

## Other layers — NOT cleared by this packet

| Layer | Status | Evidence on file |
|---|---|---|
| Music score | Verified public domain | 1 item(s) |
| Underlying story / screenplay | Verified public domain | 1 item(s) |
| Character trademarks | Undetermined | 1 item(s) |
| Restorations / re-releases | Undetermined | 1 item(s) |

## What this means
- **Watching:** Watching via the linked archival copies is generally the lowest-risk activity.
- **Reusing / monetizing:** Strong public-domain case across print, score and story — reuse and monetization carry the lowest risk profile.

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_Valid as of 2026-10-05. Copyright status can change — check the live dossier before relying on this in a dispute:_ https://bitgitty.github.io/rightsatlas/film/any-old-port-1930/