# RightsAtlas Research Packet — Faust (1926)

> ⚠️ **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:** `2026-10-04-c2bade8`  ·  **Generated:** 2026-10-05  ·  **Country:** DE  ·  **Last verified:** 2026-10-04

## ⚠️ 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:** Published 1926; the maximum US copyright term of 95 years expired December 31, 2021, placing the film in the US public domain from January 1, 2022 regardless of whether a renewal was filed. Duke CSPD's 2022 Public Domain Day page explicitly lists this film among the 1926 works that entered the public domain that year. — [Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain — Public Domain Day 2022](https://cspd.law.duke.edu/publicdomainday/2022/)
- **uraa_analysis:** German production by UFA. URAA Section 104A restoration (17 U.S.C. § 104A) could only restore the remaining portion of the US term — in any scenario, that term was capped at 95 years from 1926 and expired December 31, 2021. No active URAA restoration remains. The archetype 'uraa_foreign' reflects the historical restoration period (ca. 1996–2021), which has now ended. — [17 U.S.C. § 104A — US Copyright Office](https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html)

> Published 1926: 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 | 1 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
- [Internet Archive (English subtitles; check the audio before reuse)](https://archive.org/details/faust-1926) · good

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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/faust-1926/