The Gang of Five
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The member joining awards for 2019, 2020, and 2021 have been posted. We admins would like to thank each and every one of you who have made the forum their home over these years. It is because of people like you that the forum is the welcoming place that it is. :)

The forum supporter awards for those who maintained the forum on Patreon in 2023 will also be up shortly. Again, thank you all for what you do to keep our little corner of the Internet online!

The Song Happy Birthday is now Public Domain

pokeplayer984

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  • Littlefoot
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For the longest time, Warner held the rights to the song "Happy Birthday".  They were forcing artists and restaurants to pay them for use of the song. (Which is why they always came up with their own version.  It was not for creativity sake.) However, the information on the rights has always been seen as shady by lawyers whom examined them.  As such, a team that wanted to do a documentary on the song chose to prove that Warner did not own the rights and that the song was Public Domain.

A judge of the Federal Court has now ruled the copyrights invalid and that the song is Public Domain.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/s...copyright-claim

A very happy thing indeed. :)


bestariana1girl

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Oh goodness, someone could own the rights to "Happy Birthday", that makes me sad  :lol some people take "copyright" to far.
8 years with TGOF :yum