Filmmaker Jennifer Nelson had to pay $1,500 to have "Happy Birthday to You" sung in the movie she's making.
Filmmaker
Jennifer
Nelson
had
to
pay
$
1,500
to
have
``
Happy
Birthday
to
You
''
sung
in
the
movie
she
's
making
.
The money went to Warner Music Group, a company that claims to own the copyright on the song.
The
money
went
to
Warner
Music
Group
,
a
company
that
claims
to
own
the
copyright
on
the
song
.
A copyright is the legal right to use or sell a creative product such as a song, a TV show, a book, or a work of art.
A
copyright
is
the
legal
right
to
use
or
sell
a
creative
product
such
as
a
song
,
a
TV
show
,
a
book
,
or
a
work
of
art
.
Warner has claimed the copyright for "Happy Birthday to You" since 1988.
Warner
has
claimed
the
copyright
for
``
Happy
Birthday
to
You
''
since
1988
.
"I never thought the song was owned by anyone," Nelson said in an e-mail to The New York Times.
``
I
never
thought
the
song
was
owned
by
anyone
,
''
Nelson
said
in
an
e-mail
to
The
New
York
Times
.
"I thought it belonged to everyone."
``
I
thought
it
belonged
to
everyone
.
''
Nelson's movie is a documentary--a film that uses pictures and/or interviews with people to create a factual report of real-life events--and is actually about the history of the "Happy Birthday" song itself.
Nelson
's
movie
is
a
documentary
--
a
film
that
uses
pictures
and/or
interviews
with
people
to
create
a
factual
report
of
real-life
events
--
and
is
actually
about
the
history
of
the
``
Happy
Birthday
''
song
itself
.
Two sisters named Mildred and Patty Hill wrote a song called "Good Morning to All" in 1893.
Two
sisters
named
Mildred
and
Patty
Hill
wrote
a
song
called
``
Good
Morning
to
All
''
in
1893
.
Over a short period of time, people began to sing the words "happy birthday to you" in place of the original lyrics to the tune of the Hill sisters' song.
Over
a
short
period
of
time
,
people
began
to
sing
the
words
``
happy
birthday
to
you
''
in
place
of
the
original
lyrics
to
the
tune
of
the
Hill
sisters
'
song
.
A number of history experts say that there is no record of who actually wrote the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics.
A
number
of
history
experts
say
that
there
is
no
record
of
who
actually
wrote
the
``
Happy
Birthday
to
You
''
lyrics
.
Historians also say there is no way to know when the general public began singing the "Happy Birthday" song, but they believe it was being sung by the public long before it was printed and owned by a company.
Historians
also
say
there
is
no
way
to
know
when
the
general
public
began
singing
the
``
Happy
Birthday
''
song
,
but
they
believe
it
was
being
sung
by
the
public
long
before
it
was
printed
and
owned
by
a
company
.
Nelson's lawyers say this piece of music's history proves that "Happy Birthday to You" belongs to everyone in the general public.
Nelson
's
lawyers
say
this
piece
of
music
's
history
proves
that
``
Happy
Birthday
to
You
''
belongs
to
everyone
in
the
general
public
.
That would mean Warner Music Group has no right to charge anyone a fee to sing the song in any setting.
That
would
mean
Warner
Music
Group
has
no
right
to
charge
anyone
a
fee
to
sing
the
song
in
any
setting
.
Experts estimate that Warner/ Chappell, the publishing division of the Warner Music Group, has made about $2 million a year from licensing fees for "Happy Birthday to You."
Experts
estimate
that
Warner/
Chappell
,
the
publishing
division
of
the
Warner
Music
Group
,
has
made
about
$
2
million
a
year
from
licensing
fees
for
``
Happy
Birthday
to
You
.
''
Nelson's lawyers are asking a court in New York City to order Warner/Chappell to return fees they have collected over the past four years for use of the "Happy Birthday" song.
Nelson
's
lawyers
are
asking
a
court
in
New
York
City
to
order
Warner/Chappell
to
return
fees
they
have
collected
over
the
past
four
years
for
use
of
the
``
Happy
Birthday
''
song
.
Filmmaker Jennifer Nelson had to pay $1,500 to have "Happy Birthday to You" sung in the movie she's making. The money went to Warner Music Group, a company that claims to own the copyright on the song. A copyright is the legal right to use or sell a creative product such as a song, a TV show, a book, or a work of art. Warner has claimed the copyright for "Happy Birthday to You" since 1988.  "I never thought the song was owned by anyone," Nelson said in an e-mail to The New York Times. "I thought it belonged to everyone."  Nelson's movie is a documentary--a film that uses pictures and/or interviews with people to create a factual report of real-life events--and is actually about the history of the "Happy Birthday" song itself.  Two sisters named Mildred and Patty Hill wrote a song called "Good Morning to All" in 1893. Over a short period of time, people began to sing the words "happy birthday to you" in place of the original lyrics to the tune of the Hill sisters' song.  A number of history experts say that there is no record of who actually wrote the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics. Historians also say there is no way to know when the general public began singing the "Happy Birthday" song, but they believe it was being sung by the public long before it was printed and owned by a company.  Nelson's lawyers say this piece of music's history proves that "Happy Birthday to You" belongs to everyone in the general public. That would mean Warner Music Group has no right to charge anyone a fee to sing the song in any setting.  Experts estimate that Warner/ Chappell, the publishing division of the Warner Music Group, has made about $2 million a year from licensing fees for "Happy Birthday to You."  Nelson's lawyers are asking a court in New York City to order Warner/Chappell to return fees they have collected over the past four years for use of the "Happy Birthday" song.