"It's a Wonderful Life" Almost Had an Unhappy Ending

The perennial Christmas classic wasn't always a TV staple. In 1974, National Telefilm Associates, the owners of the film rights to "It's a Wonderful Life," made a clerical error and the film went from copyrighted classic to a work in the public domain.  And it remained there until 1993.

So studio lawyers went to court—stating the film was a derivative of the book "The Greatest Gift." The court ruled in favor of the studio and reinstated the film's copyright. When a legacy is on the line, it's crucial to have expert advice on your side.