The Happy Birthday Song Was Copyrighted Until 2016
Until which year was "Happy Birthday to You" under copyright?
You'd think 'Happy Birthday to You' would be public domain, but for nearly a century, it wasn't. The melody was originally composed by sisters Mildred and Patty Hill in 1893 as a classroom greeting song called 'Good Morning to All.' Warner/Chappell Music claimed copyright over the lyrics version until a federal judge ruled in 2016 that the copyright was invalid.
During the copyright period, restaurants, TV shows, and films had to pay licensing fees to use the song commercially — reportedly earning Warner/Chappell about $2 million per year. That's why so many restaurants have their own 'substitute' birthday songs. Today, 'Happy Birthday to You' is finally in the public domain.
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