# RightsAtlas Research Packet — The Cocoanuts (1929)

> ⚠️ **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:** `2026-09-01-c2bade8`  ·  **Generated:** 2026-10-05  ·  **Country:** US  ·  **Last verified:** 2026-09-01

## ⚠️ 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 1929 by Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. The US 95-year copyright term (as extended by CTEA 1998) expired January 1, 2025. Duke CSPD lists it as a Public Domain Day 2025 entry. — [Duke Law Center for the Study of the Public Domain — Public Domain Day 2025](https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2025/)
- **research_note:** CCE Motion Pictures volumes for 1956, 1957, and 1958 were searched (archive.org full-text djvu) with no 'Cocoanuts' entry located; OCR gaps in these volumes are common. However, all authoritative PD-Day sources date the film's US expiry to January 1, 2025 — consistent with a full 95-year term — suggesting Paramount did renew circa 1956–1957 (confirmed by Universal's valid commercial restoration rights through 2024). Renewal absence cannot be positively confirmed. — [CCE Motion Pictures Vol. 10 No. 1-2 (1956) — Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyrig3101213li)

> Published 1929: 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 | 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:** Strong public-domain case across print, score and story — reuse and monetization carry the lowest risk profile.

## Archival copies
- [The Cocoanuts (1929) — full film, Internet Archive (MPEG4, 1.6 GB)](https://archive.org/details/the-cocoanuts) · moderate

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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/the-cocoanuts-1929/