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innocent_white_lamb [soylentnews.org] writes:

A judge has ruled that the 120-year-old Happy Birthday song is public domain and Warner Music has never held a valid copyright on it.

Warner has apparently been collecting about $2 million a year in royalties which may now need to be refunded to those who paid them.

From the article, "Mark C. Rifkin, one of Nelson's attorneys, said the plaintiffs will pursue Warner for royalties paid since "at least" 1988, and could also ask the company to repay royalties that have been collected all the way back to 1935. It's not clear how much money that could entail."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-happy-birthday-song-lawsuit-decision-20150922-story.html [latimes.com]

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