‘Who’s on First?’ Routine Will Stay in Public Domain

The classic Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First?” comedy routine will stay in the public domain, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to weigh in on a copyright dispute over it (TCA Television Corp. v. McCollum, U.S., 16-1258, review denied 5/22/17).

The comedy duo’s heirs wanted the high court to rule they still own rights in the routine, even though the original owners failed to renew their copyright registration as required by the law in force at the time. But the heirs’ copyright interest in a movie featuring the routine wasn’t enough to successfully assert a ...