Why is this DVD out of print in the US?

No, it's not a rights problem but probably a lack of sales problem.

"Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings"

> Why has the DVD of this film fallen out of print in the US? Is there a rights problem?

You can call it a "right problem."

The major problem with Orson Welles' Othello is that there really has never been a definitive version. There are several prints in archives with many differences, which were completed by Wells with which we can be sure these are his versions, the results of his creation as he intended to be and the reflections of his visions. However, none of these prints can be screened or mastered to video sales because of the objections from Welles' estate--to be more precisely due to the objection of Beatrice Welles, his daughter.

The Criterion Collection, for instance, released quite a spectacular laserdisc in the mid 90's using an archival original print of the version released in the US. It is largely considered as Welles' probably final version, and regarded as the best video edition of the film--which now they are not allowed to re-issue it for DVD.

Beatrice Welles, on her side, created what they call "restoration" of the film in the early 90's, and she now doesn't allow any other versions than this one to be seen now. This "restoration" which should be more rightfully called "distortion" has a completely re-worked soundtrack, omitting as much as possible what Beatrice Welles and her "restoration" team considered as "flaws" in the original--that many of the dialogues are indeed practically inaudible, that there are occasional moments in which the lips movements don't match the dialogue, that the quality of the sound recording differs during the same line, and so on. They pulled out the dialogues digitally from the existing sound materials, and digitally changed the speed, reduced the noises, making them as clear as possible. Ocasionally they even changed the speed of the image so that the image fits the length of the dialogue. They also re-recorded a new musical score, transcribing the music from the original, re-arranging it for a lage orchestra, replaced completely the original.

Here's the beginning of the "restored" version by Beatrice Welles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMXHrpiXbeo&feature=related

And here's the excerpt from the original version, as quoted in Welles' own recollection of the film Filming Othello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U07wWQ0U_BU&feature=related

Note the difference in how the music sounds, the orchestration, and the sounds effects which are so disturbing in the new "restored" version.

This new "restored version" has been received with heavy criticisms, that it was a distortion, if not a even destruction of Welles' original visions. The Criterion LaserDisc release sort of confirmed that it was not only a distortion, the original version with all these "flaws" actually was more endearing, far more Wellesian, experimental and exciting. So people who want to make a DVD edition naturally want to forget the Beatrice Welles version and go back the the best materials possible of the existing versions known to be of Welles himself. Beatrice Welles doesn't allow that, insists on her version, so it ends up to the film getting no video release.

I think the LaserDisc can be found occasionally on e-bay or other internet auctions, or in second-hand markets, but is hugely expensive.