Happy Birthday, Edgar
We’re asking you to record a video of yourself singing Happy Birthday to You to Edgar Bronfman, Jr. - currently the CEO of Warner Music Group, the company holding a legally recognized copyright claim on Happy Birthday to You. We argue that this work is and has always been part of the Public Domain.
Happy Birthday to You, also known more simply as Happy Birthday, is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person’s birth. According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, “Happy Birthday to You” is the most recognized song in the English language.
The melody of Happy Birthday to You comes from the song Good Morning to All, which was written and composed by sisters Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893. The combination of melody and lyrics in Happy Birthday to You first appeared in print in 1912, with no credits or copyright notices.
The Summy Company registered for copyright in 1935, crediting authors Preston Ware Orem and Mrs. R.R. Forman. In 1990, Warner Chappell purchased the company owning the copyright, and 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.
As it is clear that Happy Birthday to You is a Public Domain work, your contribution of song as electronic civil disobedience helps further the message that in order for a literate democracy to flourish, it’s texts and cultural artifacts must remain readily available for criticism, review, and modification by all citizens equally.
send your birthday vid/embed code/whatever to: shermanfbaby@gmail.com http://www.happybirthdayedgar.org/
