Planning a Birthday Bash?

 If you’re planning to sing “Happy Birthday to You” you might have to spend more than you anticipated.

The song “Happy Birthday To You” is NOT a public-domain composition, despite the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records declaring it to be the most recognised song in the English language.

The melody was written, in 1893, by two kindergarten school teachers, sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill from Kentucky for the song “Good Morning to All”, as a song that would be easy to be sung by young children.

The Original lyrics of the song “Good Morning to All” goes this way...
    Good morning to you
    Good morning to you,
    Good morning, dear children,
    Good morning to all.
(I know you are humming the song now and checking the resemblance.)

”The Summy Company, who owned the publishing rights of “Good Morning to All”, copyrighted
 “Happy Birthday to You” in 1935 as a song for hire. Warner Corporation purchased the company owning the copyright for U.S. $15 million, with the value of "Happy Birthday" estimated at U.S. $5 million.Based on the 1935 copyright registration, Warner claims that U.S. copyright will not expire until 2030, and that unauthorized public performances of the song are technically illegal unless royalties are paid to it. In one specific instance in February 2010, these royalties were said amount to $700.

In European Union countries the copyright in the song will expire December 31, 2016.
So now a single use in a film or TV programme will cost around $10,000!

Planning a Birthday Bash? Pondering how much to spend? Then think again!

Source :musicouch.com and wikipedia