"I am thrilled to be a part of the historic effort to set 'Happy Birthday' free and give it back to the public where it belongs."

A lawsuit we can all be glad has succeeded: "A judge ruled on Tuesday that the long-claimed copyright on 'Happy Birthday to You,' the most popular tune in the English language, is not valid."

The decision, by Judge George H. King of United States District Court in Los Angeles, is a blow to the music publisher Warner/Chappell and its parent company, the Warner Music Group, which have controlled the song since 1988 and reportedly still collect some $2 million annually in licensing fees for it.... Judge King’s 43-page decision delved into the complex history of the song — a paper trail of copyright registrations and yellowed songbooks that goes back more than a century....

Warner. Remember when it was Warner Brothers and Jerry Garcia said "There isn't even a Warner brother to talk to"?

The nerve of some corporations, collecting money for an old folk song, the epitome of what should be in the public domain.

You'd think in all these years of irritating phony copyright gouging, people would have abandoned the old song. It's no more necessary than "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," which no one sings anymore. But you'll say it is necessary, because birthdays require that a song be sung. And the alternatives are... at best... inappropriate....



We’ve given up caffeine and sworn off desserts / I don’t try to seduce you, we don’t even flirt / We’re too good to be happy, too straight to be sad / So just blow out the candles...