Ruling in birthday tune royalties row

The music publishing company that has been collecting royalties on the song Happy Birthday To You for years does not hold a valid copyright on the lyrics to the tune that is one of the mostly widely sung in the world, a US judge has ruled.

District Judge George King determined the song’s original copyright, obtained by the Clayton F Summy Company from the song’s writers, covered only the tune’s musical arrangement and not the lyrics.

Judge King’s decision in Los Angeles comes in a lawsuit filed two years ago by Good Morning To You Productions Corporation, which is working on a documentary film tentatively titled Happy Birthday.