“Happy Birthday” song is public property!

The company that claimed a copyright on the song “Happy Birthday” has agreed to return $14 million collected in fees after a judge last year ruled its copyright invalid.

Warner/Chappell Music’s copyright of the song “Happy Birthday” was declared invalid by a California judge in September of 2015, who wrote that the song, referred to in a suit as “the world’s most popular song, should be in the public domain.”

In papers filed in federal court, Warner/Chappell Music says it will pay up to $14 million to settle any licensing fees paid to use the song in the past. A film producer, a musician and two music producers had filed suit against Warner/Chappell Music in 2014 after they paid fees ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand to use “Happy Birthday” in musical productions.

“Happy Birthday” was written in 1893 by two sisters: Mildred and Patty Hill. Warner/Chappell Music claimed that they obtained the copyright to the song from a company that had gotten it from the Hill sisters’ publisher, Clayton Summy. The plaintiffs had argued that the copyright covered only specific piano arrangements for the song, not the song and lyrics themselves.

The song will officially become part of public domain on the case’s final settlement date which is set sometime by the end of March.

‘Kids should be kids’ Ronan Keating advices young singers

Not too long ago, in your parents’ time, there was a boy band ‘Boyzone’ in the 90s and fans were as crazy as about them as they are today for 1D.

Ronan Keating, the lead vocalist of the band, revealed that he’s glad ‘One Direction’ are having fun — because he didn’t enjoy his time in Boyzone enough because he was too focused on getting the job done.

He said, “It looks like they’re having such a great time and rightly so. The nineties band were so focused on work that they didn’t take any time out to enjoy their success,” unlike 1D, who recently went on a hiatus.

“I took on an awful lot of responsibility — it wasn’t asked of me — I just did it and because of the stress and pressures, before I knew it the six years were gone. I had an old head on young shoulders. Kids should be kids.”

Older and wiser, Ronan has no qualms reliving his band’s fame, which sadly became a four-piece after Stephen Gately’s tragic shock death from a heart defect in 2009.

And the remaining members, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch have been in talks over reforming for their 25th anniversary next year. Meanwhile, Ronan has been focusing on his solo efforts, releasing his new album, ‘Time Of My Life.’

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 20th, 2015