Finally – We Can Sing Happy Birthday For Free

We can finally sing Happy Birthday without worrying about a hefty fine!  Wait, we couldn’t before?

Did you now there was a copyright on Happy Birthday?  We all could have been fined, or paid a fee rather, of $1500 for its use.  Maybe not for you or I singing it in our home to our families.  But, if you wanted to sing it in a movie or in a restaurant then you had to pay.  But not anymore!  Phew!

A federal judge ruled the claim to Happy Birthday, the 120-year-old song, wasn't legal, therefore freeing it from copyright. So no, not only can we sing it anywhere anytime, but restaurants do not have to make up a birthday song if they don’t want to!  Fun!

And for those who don’t know who wrote Happy Birthday - it was written by a pair of sisters, Mildred and Patty Hill, sometime before 1893.  I feel like if they gave me 80 years I could have come up with the song!  Man I missed out!