File:Cooper-Kong.jpg

Publicity photo of American producer Merian C. Cooper glancing up at the huge King Kong bust on the RKO Pathe lot circa 1933.

https://horrorpedia.com/2014/09/16/king-kong-1933/

1933

The chain of ownership of RKO properties after its demise in 1959 is unclear, however, whomever owned distribution rights to RKO properties in 1975 is presumed to have been the author of all press-materials promoting the screening of King Kong in theatres that year.

PD-PRE1978.

• The photo has no copyright markings on it as can be seen in the links above (also see original upload).
• It was created for publicity purposes-distribution to the media. The image was meant to bring attention and publicity for the personalities pictured, the film/program he/she was part of, and the studio/network distributing/airing it.

Film production expert Eve Light Honathaner in The Complete Film Production Handbook, (Focal Press, 2001 p. 211.):

"Publicity photos (star headshots) have traditionally not been copyrighted. Since they are disseminated to the public, they are generally considered public domain, and therefore clearance by the studio that produced them is not necessary."

"There is a vast body of photographs, including but not limited to publicity stills, that have no notice as to who may have created them." (The Professional Photographer's Legal Handbook By Nancy E. Wolff, Allworth Communications, 2007, p. 55.)

Creative Clearance-Publicity photos

"Publicity Photos (star headshots) older publicity stills have usually not been copyrighted and since they have been disseminated to the public, they are generally considered public domain and therefore there is no necessity to clear them with the studio that produced them (if you can even determine who did)."

• United States Copyright Office page 2 "Visually Perceptible Copies The notice for visually perceptible copies should contain all three elements described below. They should appear together or in close proximity on the copies.

1 The symbol © (letter C in a circle); the word “Copyright”; or the abbreviation “Copr.”

2 The year of first publication. If the work is a derivative work or a compilation incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the derivative work or compilation is sufficient. Examples of derivative works are translations or dramatizations; an example of a compilation is an anthology. The year may be omitted when a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, with accompanying textual matter, if any, is reproduced in or on greeting cards, postcards, stationery, jewelry, dolls, toys, or useful articles.

3 The name of the copyright owner, an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of owner.1 Example © 2007 Jane Doe.")