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.