Intellectual Property
Jul. 14, 2016
'Happy Birthday' case may change content licensing practices
The "Happy Birthday" class action settlement, which resulted in a court order placing the song in the public domain and a $14 million royalty repayment, is significant for filmmakers, musicians and other artists who either paid for the song or want to use it in future artistic endeavors. By Andrew MacKay and Daniel Schacht
The June 27 court approval of the settlement of the "Happy Birthday" class action case Good Morning To You Productions Corp. v. Warner Chappell Music Inc. has captured the world's imagination, with everyone from TMZ to the New Zealand Herald reporting on the historic settlement. The results - a court order placing the song in the public domain and $14 million in royalties to be repaid - are significan...
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