In breaking news – A California Federal Judge has ruled that over the past 80 years, none of the companies who have claimed to have a valid copyright claim to the popular “Happy Birthday to You” song actually do. The current purported holder of the copyright, Warner/Chapell (an affiliate of Warner Music) has been collecting between $1,500 and $5,000 per use (or about $2 million per year). Predictably, plaintiff’s lawyers are now looking into bringing a class action litigation to recover royalties paid for the use of “Happy Birthday to You” since 1988.
For more information, please see today’s Los Angeles Times article.
