It’s probably happened to you. You’re at a restaurant, celebrating your birthday with friends and family. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dozen waiters and waitresses appear, clacking together wooden plates or rattling tambourines, and they begin singing, well, something. It’s not “Happy Birthday to You,” the song that the Guinness Book of World Records calls “the most recognized song” in the English language. In fact, the birthday song the waiters are singing is not recognizable at all.
Perhaps you’ve heard that “Happy Birthday to You,” though penned in 1893, is not in the public domain. It’s true; it’s still copyrighted. And every year, Warner Chappel Music rakes in about $2 million off its use in television and movies. Read more…
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