"Happy Birthday" in the public domain

[b3john]

Music Company Does Not Own 'Happy Birthday' Song Copyright, Judge Rules - NBC News

TL;DR: Warner/Chappell doesn't own the copyright because the initial 1935 copyright was only for a few specific piano arrangement (i.e. sheet music), and never the lyrics.

Quite the legal legacy for a song over 100 years old that was written so every child could have their own song on their birthday.

 

[45WinMag]

I guess now we will hear "Happy Birthday" in movies and on television shows instead of odd, unfamiliar new birthday songs thrown together to avoid licensing.

 

[Eball92]

music companies will sue for anything...

'Dancing Baby' Wins Copyright Case : The Two-Way : NPR

 

[circles]

Thank God!

 

[b3john]

I guess now we will hear "Happy Birthday" in movies and on television shows instead of odd, unfamiliar new birthday songs thrown together to avoid licensing.

And national chain restaurants.

 

[mudfinger]

Lulz.

Thanks for posting this. The history of this tune has aleays fascinated me, and the fact that it only took a century to litigate a sensible outcome will give me the giggles every time I hear this song cor the rest of my life...

 

[45WinMag]

Does this also cover the "you live in a zoo/you look like a monkey/and smell like one too" or the "get plastered/you [email protected]" versions?

 

[Dolebludger]

This is strange, as I thought I had read that the "happy birthday" copyright had been voided by the courts a couple of years back. Well, what matters is that is has been voided. Like all of us, I favor protecting songwriters and musicians so that they may profit from their work. But the origins of the song "happy birthday" are pretty foggy. For example, the tune (with different words) can be found in an old 150 year old Methodist hymnal.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

Well, there goes "Have a good Day you were born on"!