Federal Judge Rules that ‘Happy Birthday’ Is Now Public Domain

The biggest song in the English-speaking world is now free from copyright, thanks to a judge’s ruling issued Tuesday evening.  In a summary judgment ruling, U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California George H. King dismantled Warner/Chappell Music’s argument that it had legally acquired the copyright to the lyrics to ‘Happy Birthday’ through a long, byzantine series of transfers.
The decision means that ‘Happy Birthday&rsquo