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Comment by cellover | Hacker News Reader

I have uploaded the movie to my server, direct download, high speed:

http://www.pilgrimbreak.com/citizenfour-hd-high-speed-downlo...

Do you have a link to some 'official' source saying that the movie is free? (I'd like to copy it, but only with the creators' permission).

https://twitter.com/Cryptomeorg/status/566616227582582785

Defense provided 2 DVDs of Citizenfour as exhibit in Edwards suit. So film in public domain as unsealed record. On HBO 2/23/15. Leaking $.

https://twitter.com/Cryptomeorg/status/566616227582582785

Is that good enough (taken from further up in this thread)?

I don't know, is it? Myself, I was hoping for something more definitive.

Does it being presented as evidence in a US court mean I can freely copy it, including if I am outside the US?

If the creators were freely releasing the film, then I would have expected them to say so in some public announcement.

Only the film's copyright holder can release it into the public domain. They must do so by an overt act or statement that indicates the work is no longer subject to copyright.

Merely submitting copies of the work to a court as part of a lawsuit doesn't do this as there is no statement that copyright is relinquished. Quite the opposite--copies of the film still bear a copyright notice.

Maybe take the middle road? Grab a copy now if you can't wait and buy it later when it comes out on DVD/Blueray. Fortunately it's being aired here in the UK on Channel 4 tomorrow so I haven't got this dilemma.

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