"Rights Issues"

[hok007]

I notice that someone has recently mentioned that a port of the original Batman television series to BD is unlikely given certain unidentified "rights issues". I've received a similar explanation for why The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) is not being brought to DVD or BR in its OAR. I understand that, in both contexts, the "rights issues" alluded to are copyright restrictions. Is there a reason that we (outsiders) are not given more specific reasons why such titles can't be released on BR (or DVD)? I, for one, would like to know names: Who are the rightsholders who are standing in the way? How many parties are we talking about? If one were to start a campaign to pressure the relevant parties to reach an agreement so that the public has the opportunity to see and/or obtain a copy of a work locked up due to "rights issues", how might one go about identifying the folks who may need a nudge in the right direction?

Not trying to start something here. I just know that there are plenty of films (and television programs) that fall into this over-broad grouping. Some, like Gwynne Dyer's "War", are bound up in so many orphan works problems, that the owner (I believe it's still owned by National Film Board of Canada) feels unable to sort it out sufficiently to re-release any version of the original documentary. Others, like the original Batman television series, appear to be held up by personality issues (where interlocking rights-holders just can't seem to get along). Every work bound up in "rights issues" is restrained by a unique set of personalities and ownership puzzles. I'd just like to know the first step: Is there a way for us, mere cinophiles, to help grease the skids on sorting out rights-problems that may strike the insiders as unresolveable?

It would also be interesting to start a list of films held up in this manner. Off hand, I can mention the following:

• The Dawn Patrol (1930) (The Howard Hawks original, bound up by some sort of issue with its title, possibly involving its relationship to the 1938 remake staring Errol Flynn)
• Batman (1966-1968) (TV series, likely bound up by rights holders who don't want to deal with each other, or so rummor has it)
• The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) (released by GoodTimes Home Video in 1998 using a horrid Pan & Scan transfer; Universal will only say that the title is unlikely to receive a new OAR transfer due to unspecified "rights issues")
• Gwynne Dyer's War (1982) (TV documentary, likely bound up by orphan works issues, as near as I can tell)

I'm sure there are others. Is there a clearing house of information that might identify the current owner of relevant film stock (or archive-quality video tapes), just to get the ball rolling?