I wish someone would challenge it in court. The following song, sung with the current "happy birthday" tune [save for the lack of subdivision on the first word of each line] was published long enough ago to be out of copyright:
Good morning to youPerhaps substituting "happy birthday" for "good morning" justifies a new copyright, but I would tend to doubt it.
Good morning to you
Good morning dear children
Good morning to all
It is a ridiculous claim, to be sure. Here's the history:
Originally published in 1893 as "Good Morning to All" in the collection "Song Stories for the Kindergarten." Words by Patty Smith Hill (1868-1946), Music by Mildred J. Hill (1859-1916). The music and original words entered the public domain in 1949 at the very latest.
The phrase "Happy Birthday to You" lacks sufficient originality to be the subject of copyright. Nevertheless, one of the predecessors of today's Federal Mullahcracy declared that the COMBINATION of PD words with PD music was sufficient reason for a copyright (Jessica M. Hill v. Sam H. Harris, et al). So the copyright was duly registered in 1935 and remains in force until the year 2031 (if the term isn't extended between now and then). Warner Brothers owns the copyright - yet another example of degenerate Hollywood leftists raking in the cash. When are folks going to wake up and stop funding their own destruction?