“Happy Birthday” Copyright Owner Sued

A filmmaker working on a documentary about the “Happy Birthday To You” song has filed suit against Warner Chappell music licensing, which has claimed copyright to  the song since 1935 and makes about $2 million each year in royalties. The lawsuit claims the melody has been around since 1893, and the lyrics widely used by the early 1900s. Warner’s patent, the filmmaker says, covers at most a particular piano arrangement and a second verse to the song. The goal of the lawsuit is to put “Happy Birthday” into the public domain, and make Warner return all license fees that were paid since mid-2009.