# RightsAtlas Research Packet — Beyond the Rocks (1922)

> ⚠️ **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:** `2026-09-13-c2bade8`  ·  **Generated:** 2026-10-05  ·  **Country:** US  ·  **Last verified:** 2026-09-13

## ⚠️ 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
- **term_expiry:** US theatrical release May 1922 by Famous Players–Lasky (Paramount). The statutory 95-year ceiling for pre-1978 US works places the copyright expiry no later than 1 January 2018; as of 2026 the bright-line cutoff is 1930, and 1922 is well inside it. The film was considered completely lost for over 75 years with no commercial presence, making any renewal filing in 1949–1950 functionally impossible to have occurred. — [U.S. Copyright Office — Duration of Copyright (Circular 15a)](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf)

> Published 1922: 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 | Partially protected | 1 item(s) |
| Underlying story / screenplay | Verified public domain | 1 item(s) |
| Character trademarks | Undetermined | 0 item(s) |
| Restorations / re-releases | Not public domain | 1 item(s) |

## What this means
- **Watching:** Watching via the linked archival copies is generally the lowest-risk activity.
- **Reusing / monetizing:** The film print may be free, but at least one layer (music, story, or restoration) is unresolved — expect Content ID claims; keep evidence handy and consider removing or replacing the score.

## Archival copies
- [Beyond the Rocks (1922) — Internet Archive, silent excerpt (approx. 23 min, no score)](https://archive.org/details/silent-beyond-the-rocks) · low

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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/beyond-the-rocks-1922/