Joined: Mar Sat 28, 2009 8:27 pm Posts: 350 Location: Georgia
My spouse and children are all band directors, etc. so it came to our attention that the musical copyrights on "Happy Birthday" were renewed last year. For those of you who are not aware of ASCaP copyright law this means that the song cannot be performed in public or a profit making enterprise without paying the performance royalty. You may have noticed that in some resturants that you mostly hear the waitresses chant a little thing when they wish a patron a happy birthday but they do not sing the familiar song. I wish we could get some of those other tunes illegal to perform.
Post subject: Re: Watch out "Happy Birthday" singers.
Posted: May Sun 06, 2012 5:08 am
Member
Joined: Feb Mon 27, 2012 5:56 am Posts: 787 Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Interesting! I wonder why the person who wrote Happy Birthday would renew it when it has been used so freely! Maybe he/she is reserving her rights to be able to sue some day?
Post subject: Re: Watch out "Happy Birthday" singers.
Posted: May Sun 06, 2012 4:14 pm
Member
Joined: Mar Sat 28, 2009 8:27 pm Posts: 350 Location: Georgia
This "happy birthday" thing came up during a visit from my band director son when we were eating in a cafe. I just researched it a little and found a good thread at http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp I also phoned my son and he stated it was a legal notice in Billboard a few years back. Like all other copyrighted songs if you don't sing ver 8 measures of it you will not be liable for the royalty fee.
