News
The Happy Birthday Song Is Set Free
September 25, 2015
Wikimedia
Thanks to federal Judge George King, we're all free to sing the Happy Birthday song—without fear of paying Warner/Chappell Music royalties. Judge King ruled that the claim to the song's rights (which had been earning Warner/Chappell around $2M each year) was invalid, as the copyright only covers rights to particular musical arrangements, not the lyrics. Good Morning to You Productions had launched the suit after Warner charged $1,500 to use the song in a documentary about its origins, writes NPR. The judge came to his ruling after referencing a songbook from 1922 featuring the popular "happy birthday to you" lyrics. [NPR]
