[Harp-L] Could Mickey be next
- To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
- Subject: [Harp-L] Could Mickey be next
- From: philharpn@xxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:05:33 -0400 (EDT)
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Now that the extended copyright of the 1893-based Happy Birthday song is being challenged in a federal court in New York, could Mickey Mouse be next?
Everybody has heard horror stories of somebody inadvertently using Happy Birthday or singing it in public without license.
But HB was really based on a song by the sisters Patty and Mildred Hill in 1893 called Good Morning to All. Somehow the public added Happy Birthday to the melody.
As everybody knows, American copyright law was not originally designed to protect creative works forever -- unless your name is Mickey Mouse. In that case, every time the copyright approaches the deadline for expiration, it is time for Congress to extend it again.
For trivia buffs, and those with too much free time, there is a 68-page pdf file available,
<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1111624>
enjoy,
Phil
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