The Rights to “Happy Birthday to You” Might Not Be Worth $25 Million
at
A film-maker who was planning to use the birthday song in a movie got a rude awakening when she discovered she would have to pay $1,500 and enter a liscencing agreement with Warner/Chappell, a company that bought the rights to the song in 1988 for $25 million. The film-maker has asked the courts to put the birthday song in the public domain, a move that would prevent Warner/Chappell from charging lisencing fees for the use of the song. Until then, your birthday wish had better be for $1,500.
Read more at nytimes.com.
