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The Happy Birthday Song Is Set Free

Photo credit: 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]

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