Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jack Theakston 
WB owns the copyright on the film, but if they threw the physical PRINT out in the trash, there's nothing they can do to get it back.
And contrary to popular opinion, prints WERE sold of WB films by AAP when they acquired the library.
My understanding is that A.A.P. prints were used for TV syndication, again, that is a limited license in order for material to be broadcast on TV. It doesn't mean the studio has handed over copyright to the entire film so it can be exploited on any format forever.
If the full print of A Star is Born was dumped in the trash, then whoever picked it out of the trash wouldn't own the copyright, and would have absolutely no right to screen it publicly without paying Warner a royalty.
If they tried to sell the print that they found in the trash, Warner could sue them on the grounds that they can't make money selling something that they don't own the copyright to.
If Warner sold the print to them, again, that still doesn't give the person the copyright to the film and wouldn't enable them to screen it without paying Warner a royalty every time it was shown. (Just like buying a CD doesn't give you the copyright to the music on the disc and doesn't make it legal for you to play it publically.)
Another issue would be that the Garland estate, for example, could probably sue someone trying to sell such a print on the grounds that it contains Garland's image (literally and figuratively), that the person selling the print has no legal right to exploit in order to make money.
If someone ever tried to make money out of an uncut print of A Star is Born, Warner would have dozens of legal avenues to have the material returned to the studio.