Happy Birthday is an interesting one. I’d bet most people don’t know that Warner claims ownership and demands money whenever it is used in film, TV, etc. This is also the reason restaurants all have their own dumb versions of a birthday song — so they don’t get sued over a century-old folk song.
It’s a great example of how copyrights are far too long in duration.
We need common-sense legislation to significantly reduce the copyright term, remove automatic renewals and free orphaned works into the public domain.
The small/limited government crowd ought to be all over this. Copyright is a government-granted monopoly.
Not sure if it’s just about duration. I would expect Steppenwolf to get paid anytime Stairway to Heaven is played, but not so much for Happy Birthday or long established Christmas Carols. This is why we have lawyers.
dont need more legislation Excite – that would just require more blood sucking lawyers to interpret, what is needed is more common sense and less greed
I’m suing Insurance Journal that I wasted five minutes reading this article. Please don’t contact me on this as I don’t respond to pending litigation. {tongue in cheek}
am I the only one who saw the Doobie Brothers name and thought immediately of that “What’s Happening?” episode? “I be Roger Thomas…which Doobie you be??”
Happy Birthday is an interesting one. I’d bet most people don’t know that Warner claims ownership and demands money whenever it is used in film, TV, etc. This is also the reason restaurants all have their own dumb versions of a birthday song — so they don’t get sued over a century-old folk song.
It’s a great example of how copyrights are far too long in duration.
We need common-sense legislation to significantly reduce the copyright term, remove automatic renewals and free orphaned works into the public domain.
The small/limited government crowd ought to be all over this. Copyright is a government-granted monopoly.
Not sure if it’s just about duration. I would expect Steppenwolf to get paid anytime Stairway to Heaven is played, but not so much for Happy Birthday or long established Christmas Carols. This is why we have lawyers.
Dave- Steppenwolf did Stairway to Heaven? WOW..
That’s why the suit! Sorry, posted that with tongue firmly planted in my cheek!
Oh no, Dave’s just started a copyright war between Led Zeppelin and Steppenwolf.
Ha! I forget the # and am too lazy to look it up, but I think Warner may have 7-figure annual revenue from ‘Happy Birthday’
such whiners in our society – they think everything revolves around themselves – greedy buggers
dont need more legislation Excite – that would just require more blood sucking lawyers to interpret, what is needed is more common sense and less greed
I’m suing Insurance Journal that I wasted five minutes reading this article. Please don’t contact me on this as I don’t respond to pending litigation. {tongue in cheek}
am I the only one who saw the Doobie Brothers name and thought immediately of that “What’s Happening?” episode? “I be Roger Thomas…which Doobie you be??”
Yeah, i guess probably am…