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INDEXHappy Birthday - yes, your characters CAN sing it :-)
10 years, 2 months ago - Marlom Tander
Seems that Warner Music have been somewhat economical with the truth about claiming to own the copyright.
If you have ever licenced it, I'm sure there'll be a class action along soon enough:-)
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150727/16042931768/happy-birthday-copyright-bombshell-new-evidence-warner-music-previously-hid-shows-song-is-public-domain.shtml
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10 years, 2 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
I wouldn't go using that song just yet. The case isn't closed yet, and there are many regions to consider (if you want your film to play worldwide.)
Canada has the shortest copyright term, some parts of South American and Eastern Europe have pretty long terms in some cases (in Russia, it depends on whether the copyright holder fought on the right side in a war.)
Techdirt seems to be from the pro-techie, anti-creative side of the copyright spectrum. So, their reporting is probably biased. (Most reporting is biased in one way or another these days. Yes, including the BBC, Guardian, and New York Times and so on.)
10 years, 2 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
The mouse will never go out of copyright - too many vested interests, and the 'trade partnerships' the US is pushing through covertly force copyright maximalisation in order to keep milking the golden mouse.
Totally agree though that WC certainly have chutzpah, but frankly there's so many outright crooks in the industry I'm hardly shocked.
10 years, 2 months ago - Marlom Tander
I had read it as game over, but on re-reading the court case isn't formally over yet.
It has no effect on most music people want to use of course, but the sheer effrontery of Warner for claiming rights that knew they didn't have, well I just hope they get taken to the cleaners.
10 years, 2 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
That said, all copyright expires eventually. That's why many big characters and symbols are trademarked. Trademarks can theoretically be renewed indefinitely, but copyrights (at least in the USA) are relatively temporary.
(There are still issues like Performance rights.)