Last year, the WPA Film Library in Orland Park, Illinois, acquired exclusive distribution rights to a newly discovered collection of film footage about the assassination of President Kennedy, shot by ktvt-tv (cbs’ Dallas affiliate) news cameraman Roy Cooper. Although none of the collection actually contains images of the assassination, it does contain footage of Kennedy on the day of his murder, the search for a shooter on the grassy knoll, as well as subsequent police investigations.

The wpa had to negotiate with both ktvt and the Cooper estate for rights to the footage.

However, unbeknownst to the Cooper family or any other party involved, Cooper had made a 45-minute print of the most important footage from the collection, and had given it to a friend for safe-keeping.

Upon Cooper’s death, the friend donated the copy he had been given to the Library of Congress. The library announced the acquisition with great fanfare, and cbs newsman Dan Rather even did a story on it. The footage was being made available to whoever requested it.

wpa, and its parent company, MPI Media, have made it known to the archives that their continued use of the footage is in violation of the agreement they have with the Cooper brothers and ktvt. The government wants to see the paperwork, after which, it promises to ‘take it under advisement.’