Take that: Warner loses Happy Birthday copyright

Take that: Warner loses Happy Birthday copyright

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norman lebrecht

September 23, 2015

A federal judge has stripped Warner of the rights to the song.

Judge George H King ruled yesterday that Warner/Chappell never had the right to charge for the use of Happy Birthday To You’. The publisher owned only the piano arrangement, not the song itself. Read here. It’s a severe blow to the publisher.

 

happybirthdaymanuscript2

Comments

  • Marty says:

    Yes! Now I can dig out my Theme and Variations on Happy Birthday from 35 years ago and play it without worrying about another Cease and Desist letter! This is so long overdue.

  • Herbert Pauls says:

    Finally!

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