TEENAGERS' NEWSPAPER
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Happy Birthday to You to enter public domain after copyright case is settled
“We revealed a dark side to the happy tune” “It’s a song that everyone’s familiar with and grew up with but nobody knew that this song was copyrighted and you had to pay a licence for that.
The tune, with different lyrics, was written in 1893 by Patty Smith Hill, a Kentucky kindergarten teacher, and her sister, Mildred J Hill. They called it Good Morning to All.
5 Outrageously Fun Facts About the Song ‘Happy Birthday’!
1. “Happy Birthday to You” is the most-recognized and popular song in the English language.
2. “Happy Birthday to You” is has been translated into at least 18 different languages.
3. The first known combination of the melody and lyrics to “Happy Birthday” appeared in
1912, but that combination wasn’t formally registered for copyright until 1935.
4. Before the song was placed the entire song into public domain, it was technically illegal to sing “Happy Birthday to You” in public settings with groups of people, including birthday parties, office parties, and restaurant celebrations.
5. “Happy Birthday to You” is frequently listed as one of the most valuable songs in the world, with valuations estimated as $50 million.