Finally Free To Sing It Loud: Happy Birthday Copyright Claims Invalid

Happy Birthday Finally Free From Copyright Infringement

All the ‘Happy Birthday’ song copyright claims are invalid, federal judge rules.

According to the LA Times, “The complex saga of the eight-note ditty has spanned more than 120 years withstanding two world wars and several eras of copyright law. the song has seen the rise and fall of vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs and now, the era of digital streaming music…

In a stunning reversal of decades of copyright claims, the judge ruled that Warner/Chappell never had the right to charge for the use of the “Happy Birthday To You” song.”

The story began in 1893, with a Kentucky schoolteacher and her older sister. Patty Smith Hill and Mildred J. Hill wrote the song for Patty’s kindergarten students. More at: http://lat.ms/1Vb1SVM

The question remains, will restaurants change their tune when guests celebrate their birthdays?

On the heals of this good news, we learn that the Batmobile is copyrighted, after a three-judge appeals court panel rules that it’s a “character.”