Comment Neelie (Kroes)
Making speeches talk
[...] I would sing you "Happy Birthday". But technically I think the song is still under copyright — I don't want to have to pay the royalty.
Interesting example. A case can be made that copyright expired. The lyrics/melody combination was published in 1912 - before 1923, so copyright would have expired. But yeah, you would have to fight Warner over it, as they claim a later registration. So it's complicated indeed...
Effeietsanders, 03/07/2014 16:30
Copyright terms really do need to be reduced to 20 years at the very most.
Wendy Cockcroft, 03/07/2014 21:38
There is no reason to sing "Happy Birthday". How about writing your own birthday song? Does this not prove that the copyright on "Happy Birthday" actually boosts creativity more than anything else? Besides, she says she does not WANT to pay the royalty, while we all know that she, more than many others, CAN pay the royalty.
Frank van der Pol, 13/08/2014 08:55
