Motion Picture Information Service

Motion Picture Information Service MPIS, owned and operated by Elias Savada, provides customized copyright research reports. Other resources are utilized depending on the nature of the request.

The Motion Picture Information Service was founded in 1977, originally to assist overseas film festivals (San Sebastian, Spain; Pordenone, Italy) and archives (Cinemateca Portuguesa, Lisbon; and Filmoteca Española, Madrid) with programming assistance. Having spent 14 years with The American Film Institute, sandwiched around five years as a research supervisor for the copyright law firm of Brylawsk

i & Cleary, MPIS was reorganized to begin preparing copyright research reports and has now serviced over 2,000 clients. Using a vast knowledge of cinema history and keen intuitive skills, I have been able to expand on a basic copyright report to include information not available in the Copyright Office files. MPIS reports represent research on thousands of films, television programs, songs, books, etc. Research is conducted through the appropriate Copyright Office search channels, including the online index of registrations and documents filed since January 1, 1978. Earlier records are recorded in the Copyright Office Card Catalog, housed in the Library of Congress, Washington DC. Most searches are completed within 72 hours, often sooner. The fee is $150 per hour, with a one hour minimum charge. Expedited searches (24 hour turnaround) are billed at $250 per hour. Generally, a simple search of three movie titles or songs will take about one hour and will be a few pages in length. More extensive reporting on underlying works and music can lengthen the amount of time needed to complete reports of this nature. MPIS also provides walk-through copyright application submissions, starting from $150 per application, above any Copyright Office fees.

The latest lawsuit…
08/18/2026

The latest lawsuit…

"There is simply nothing fair about a company using theft to build for purely commercial purposes a multi-billion dollar business while those from which they steal receive nothing," Round Hill said.

Case dismissed (well, with leave to amend)…
08/16/2026

Case dismissed (well, with leave to amend)…

In long-running copyright fight between author of science fiction story and director James Cameron and producers of Avatar film series, district court dismisses claims alleging that Avatar sequels copied from author’s work, finding no substantial similarity between protectable elements, and grants...

A solid FYI…
08/16/2026

A solid FYI…

In 2015, 360 ABQ, LLC, a real estate brokerage firm in Albuquerque, received a letter from a lawyer representing a photographer. The letter asserted that a photo of the Albuquerque skyline taken by the photographer had been reproduced on the ABQ website without permission. The letter went on to say....

Still not over…
08/16/2026

Still not over…

The IPKat blog reports on copyright, patent, trade mark, info-tech and confidentiality issues from a mainly UK and European perspective.

The latest on the Zapruder film…
08/16/2026

The latest on the Zapruder film…

Six decades after JFK's assassination, a conspiracy book took aim at the Zapruder copyright. A Dallas judge just decided which claims survive.

Obviously--you snooze, you looze…
08/16/2026

Obviously--you snooze, you looze…

In the late 1980s, American artist Michael Hayden created a Styrofoam serpent sculpture for Ilona Staller, the Italian adult film actress and...

From the folks at the Copyright Alliance…
08/10/2026

From the folks at the Copyright Alliance…

July 2026 was full of global copyright activities and news. Long-awaited decisions were rendered in courts in India and Germany in key AI copyright lawsuits. Strong statements in support of creators and copyright law were

This sounds familiar…
08/10/2026

This sounds familiar…

District court grants plaintiff’s motion to remand his voice misappropriation suit to California state court, holding that his state-law claims target “output” of Google’s AI product (an alleged imitation of his voice) rather than “input” (copying of his copyrighted recordings) and are n...

News of Copyright (Office) Infringement…
08/10/2026

News of Copyright (Office) Infringement…

The battle over the U.S. Copyright Office’s top official could hold major implications for the future of AI policy in the U.S, and thus the world…

Danger lies ahead, indeed…
08/10/2026

Danger lies ahead, indeed…

When Ehud Yonay wrote "Top Guns" for California Magazine in 1983, an 11-page account of the Navy's elite fighter pilot training program, Paramount...

Address

Bethesda, MD
20817

Telephone

+13019386110

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Motion Picture Information Service posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Motion Picture Information Service:

Shortcuts

Share

Category