"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as
"Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung
to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth.
According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records,
"Happy Birthday to You" is the most recognized song in
the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly
Good Fellow". The song's base lyrics have been
translated into at least 18 languages. The melody of
"Happy Birthday to You" comes from the song "Good
Morning to All", which was writte...(+)
"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as
"Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung
to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth.
According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records,
"Happy Birthday to You" is the most recognized song in
the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly
Good Fellow". The song's base lyrics have been
translated into at least 18 languages. The melody of
"Happy Birthday to You" comes from the song "Good
Morning to All", which was written and composed by
American siblings Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in
1893. Patty was a kindergarten principal in Louisville,
Kentucky, developing various teaching methods at what
is now the Little Loomhouse; Mildred was a pianist and
composer. The sisters created "Good Morning to All" as
a song that young children would find easy to sing. The
combination of melody and lyrics in "Happy Birthday to
You" first appeared in print in 1912, and probably
existed even earlier. None of these early appearances
included credits or copyright notices. The Summy
Company registered for copyright in 1935, crediting
authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R.R. Forman. In
1988, Warner/Chappell purchased the company owning the
copyright for $25 million, with the value of "Happy
Birthday" estimated at $5 million. Based on the 1935
copyright registration, Warner claims that the United
States copyright will not expire until 2030, and that
unauthorized public performances of the song are
technically illegal unless royalties are paid to
Warner. In one specific instance in February 2010,
these royalties were said to amount to $700. In the
European Union, the copyright of the song will expire
on December 31, 2016. The actual American copyright
status of "Happy Birthday to You" began to draw more
attention with the passage of the Copyright Term
Extension Act in 1998. When the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld the Act in Eldred v. Ashcroft in 2003, Associate
Justice Stephen Breyer specifically mentioned "Happy
Birthday to You" in his dissenting opinion. American
law professor Robert Brauneis, who extensively
researched the song, has expressed strong doubts that
it is still under copyright. In 2013 a documentary
filmmaker brought suit against Warner/Chappell based in
large part on Brauneis's research. (Wikipedia)
