# RightsAtlas Research Packet — Detour (1945)

> ⚠️ **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:** `2026-07-16-c2bade8`  ·  **Generated:** 2026-10-05  ·  **Country:** US  ·  **Last verified:** 2026-07-16

## ⚠️ 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 — Likely public domain
- **renewal_absence_search:** Under the 1909 Copyright Act a 1945 work's US copyright had to be renewed in its 28th year (renewal window 1972-1974). Checked the primary Catalog of Copyright Entries Motion Pictures renewal volumes for that window and the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (the standard digitized index of 1950-1977 renewals); no renewal registration for 'Detour' (Producers Releasing Corporation) is recorded. PRC's failure to file a renewal is the documented reason the film print is treated as US public domain. Marked likely_pd (not verified_pd) pending line-level extraction of the CCE renewal page. — [source](https://archive.org/details/catalogofc19733271213libr)
- **renewal_absence_search:** Cross-checked the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database; no motion-picture renewal record for 'Detour' appears in the 1972-1974 window. — [source](https://exhibits.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals)


## Other layers — NOT cleared by this packet

| Layer | Status | Evidence on file |
|---|---|---|
| Music score | Undetermined | 0 item(s) |
| Underlying story / screenplay | Undetermined | 0 item(s) |
| Character trademarks | Undetermined | 0 item(s) |
| Restorations / re-releases | Undetermined | 0 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
- [Internet Archive — Detour (1945), full film](https://archive.org/details/detour1945HD)

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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/detour-1945/