It's True: The Jaws Shark Is Public Domain

10 months ago

The famous shark painting from the Jaws movie poster is public domain due to a copyright law fluke.
The original hardcover of Jaws had a black cover with no image, leading to the creation of the iconic shark illustration.
Artist Roger Kastel created the famous paperback cover art, which Universal Studios later used for the movie poster.
The painting became public domain because it was published without a proper copyright notice under the 1909 law.
Kastel's attempts to copyright the image decades later were denied, confirming its public domain status.
The original painting has been missing since 1976, with its whereabouts unknown.
The story highlights the complexities of copyright law and the unintended consequences for artists.

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