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The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza · National Archives and Records Administration
Sixth Floor Museum and National Archives
Attempt to Moot the Forum's
Zapruder Copyright Challenge
November 5, 2026
Forum v. Sixth Floor Museum & National Archives
No. 3:25-CV-2034-B (N.D. Tex.)
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The case is drawing attention
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza · National Archives and Records Administration
Three new developments
Filed Oct. 5, 2026 · Doc. 49, No. 3:25-CV-2034-B (N.D. Tex.)
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
NARA posts some Zapruder Slides online under “ZF-ZF”
“Pursuant to its License with the Sixth Floor Museum, NARA has completed its upload of the requested Zapruder Film still images to its webpage for NAID 559449.”
catalog.archives.gov/id/559449 →- .TIF, uncompressed
- 7744 × 5317 pixels
- 3200 × 3200 dpi
- 48-bit depth
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
SCAM: The Zapruder Copyright
How the Sixth Floor Museum Continues the Coverup
View the book on Amazon →Cover reproduces sequential Zapruder frames — echoing the frames LIFE first published in its Nov. 29, 1963 issue.
Six Seconds in Dallas (1967) — the book whose fair-use win in Time v. Geis is the only prior ruling on the Zapruder copyright.
- Published by the Forum in May 2025; available as an e-book on Amazon.
- Reproduces roughly 72–73 frames from the Zapruder film — unlicensed — to pinpoint the alterations the authors allege.
- Argues the Sixth Floor Museum uses its claimed copyright to suppress scrutiny of the film and perpetuate a “coverup.”
- Its central thesis: the Museum’s copyright control keeps the originals hidden to further hide details about the coverup.
The Museum’s Oct. 2 covenant covers this book and two Forum websites — no one else.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
August 5, 2026
The Court’s Holdings
Oct. 22, 2026 — The Fifth Circuit affirmed this policy in La Unión del Pueblo Entero v. FEMA, No. 24-40756, holding that a court may order an agency to post records in its electronic reading room.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
Eight weeks after the ruling
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
On October 5, 2026, the Museum filed:
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
What the license grants
…to publicly display and allow members of the public to access, view and obtain a digital non-commercial grade copy of any original or duplicate Zapruder Film that is within NARA’s possession via NARA’s website for research purposes only…
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
A sweeping claim over every copy
“Zapruder Film” includes the original film itself, and any and all copies thereof in NARA’s holdings, including any and all partial copies, still frames, reproductions interfiled in NARA textual records collections, and any copies that exist in donated materials collections, notwithstanding any additional restrictions specified in a Deed of Gift.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
A private notice in the FOIA Reading Room
Abraham Zapruder Film © 1967 (Renewed 1995) The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza… You are responsible for… obtaining any necessary permission for use, further duplication, and publication of the Zapruder Film, in whole or in part, from the Museum.
- Must appear adjacent to the film on any NARA page — including NARA’s Electronic FOIA Reading Room.
- Recites “© 1967 (Renewed 1995)” — the same registration and renewal the Forum challenges.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
Editorial control over the government
NARA… will not, and will not take an affirmative act to encourage others to: (i) use the Zapruder Film in a manner which is sensational; or (ii) other than for historic or scientific inquiry, illustration, or study, punctuate or emphasize the episodes of violence… particularly those parts… that depict and follow the depiction of a bullet striking President John F. Kennedy.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
Meanwhile: a covenant not to sue the Forum
- Never to sue the Forum over SCAM, ZapruderFilm.com, or ZapruderShrugged.com.
- To withdraw its objection to the Forum obtaining a single research copy from NARA.
- “Solely to avoid the expense of continuing the Lawsuit.”
- Not an admission — the copyright stays “valid and enforceable” against everyone else.
Relief for one publisher, not the public.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
What’s next: new claims against the new license
The Forum is moving for leave to supplement its complaint to challenge the October 1, 2026 license and NARA’s “Fully Restricted” label.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
How the film became public property
The taking did not include the copyright — the Zapruder family kept it and later purported to give it to the Museum.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The Review Board’s Statement of Intent
The members of the Review Board believe it is important that the public have free and unfettered access to this film at a reasonable cost.
In a unanimous 5–0 vote, the Board issued a Statement of Policy and Intent with Regard to the Zapruder Film.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
What the Board resolved
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The public was promised this film
…do all in its power to ensure that the best available copy of the Zapruder film shall become available to the public at the lowest reasonable price.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
What stays locked away
Whatever detail is visible in the highest-resolution versions is precisely what researchers are looking for.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The 2002 copies the public never received
Monaco certified internegatives, RGB separations, interpositives, dupe negatives and dozens of prints made from the original and both Secret Service copies — none ever distributed. Read the Monaco report →
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
Prior Zapruder copyright cases
- Time sued Bernard Geis to stop publication of frames in the Warren Commission critique.
- The first and only attempt to enforce the Zapruder copyright in court.
- Time held a valid copyright, but Thompson’s Six Seconds in Dallas was fair use — even though there was bad faith, because Thompson stole the slides.
- After filing suit, Henry Zapruder settled immediately, providing Selby a license.
- Resolved by settlement, so no court opinion was issued, leaving the licensing practice to continue.
- The Forum published SCAM and sued for declaratory relief.
- The first case to reach a substantive ruling on the copyright’s validity.
Six decades of litigation — but until now, no court has ruled on whether the Zapruder copyright is valid.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
On August 19, 2026, the Forum filed its First Amended Complaint
Adding causes of action — including one that attacks the Museum’s copyright frame by frame.
The Museum claims the benefit of the film. The registrations covering the previously published frames belong to LIFE.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
On October 23, 2026, the Forum published:
Zapruder Frame-Up
- Every publication of the film from 1963 to 1967 — wire frames, four issues of LIFE, the Warren Commission album, the Memorial Edition — with each caption printed beside its frame.
- Shows a recurring claim: that the film “shows” what it does not contain — no building, no window, no rifle, no shooter.
- The head going “back and to the left” was left out of the published account for 12 years, until 1975.
- Argues these frames are not subject to the Museum’s copyright: they were already published when Time registered the film as an unpublished work. Reproduces 35 frames.
Published after Aug. 1, 2026 — outside the Museum’s covenant.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
On October 26, 2026, the Forum responded: there is still a case or controversy
As to the Forum’s existing and future publications.
These new instruments do not end the conduct complained of. They reduce it to writing.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
The Museum will respond
The Museum’s response is due November 9, 2026. It has not been filed yet.
The Fight for Open Access to the Zapruder Film
Read the documents
Mark Javitch · mark@javitchlawoffice.com · zapruderlaw.com