'Happy Birthday' Case Built on Prof.'s Article

A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that Warner/Chappell Music does not hold a copyright to the song's lyrics, upending an 80-year licensing campaign that generated an estimated $2 million per year.

13 minute read October 01, 2015 at 11:46 AM
By
Ross Todd
'Happy Birthday' Case Built on Prof.'s Article

When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer dissented from a 2003 ruling upholding a 20-year extension to U.S. copyrights, he held out the song “Happy Birthday to You” as a prime example of copyright overreach.

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