Editing Debbie Does Dallas (section)

===Copyright===
When the film opened in October 1978, it was exhibited without a [[copyright notice]]. In 1979, rights-holder M & A Associates entered into an exclusive worldwide video distribution deal with VCX, whereby VCX agreed to pay M & A an advance and make royalty payments on each sale. Upon receiving a print of the film, VCX president Norman Arno contacted M & A president Arthur Weisberg to request copyright protection. Arno also retained the services of attorneys John Lappen and Peter Berger to combat unauthorized copying of the film. Before litigation could commence, VCX was required to add copyright notices to all copies of the film and file registration with the [[United States Copyright Office]]; however, VCX could not protect the rights by just adding a notice to the video cassette, since one also needed to be added to the theatrical prints. In 1981, Berger informed Weisberg of the need to add a copyright notice to the prints that had been sent to various theaters, but Weisberg refused. Both Lappen and Berger concluded the copyright had been lost, and in 1982, VCX terminated their contract with M & A and ceased making royalty payments, but continued to distribute the film. In 1987, M & A brought a case against VCX in the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan]] for breach of contract. VCX argued that the contract was void due to M & A's failure to comply with the [[Copyright Act of 1976]]. The court found in favor of VCX, and the judge ruled that "Weisberg's actions had thrust the film irretrievably into the [[Public domain in the United States|[United States] public domain]]."<ref>{{cite news |first=Eriq |last=Gardner |title=How a Nasty Legal Fight Over 'Deep Throat,' 'Debbie Does Dallas' Was Settled |date=October 26, 2011 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/how-a-nasty-legal-fight-252525 |access-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821123708/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/how-a-nasty-legal-fight-252525 |archive-date=August 21, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite court |litigants=M & A Associates v. VCX |vol=657 |reporter=F. Supp. |opinion=454 |pinpoint=Conclusions para 27 |court=[[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan|E.D. Mich.]] |date=April 8, 1987 |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/657/454/2265366/ |access-date=January 26, 2024 |quote=Although Arno asked Weisberg for copyright protection of the film in early 1979, Weisberg first became aware of the legal significance of the omission of the copyright notice from the film in January of 1981. Weisberg thus received 'notice' of the defect at that latter date. See ''M. Kramer Mfg. Co. v. Andrews'', 783 F.2d 421, 443 & n. 21 (4th Cir. 1986). Weisberg's failure to take reasonable [657 F.Supp. 463] efforts resulted in the film being irretrievably injected into the public domain 'several months' later.}}</ref>