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It's my Mums birthday today. Happy Birthday Mum. Sorry, I'm not with you.

 

Sort of changing the subject, this is interesting:

 

"Happy Birthday" (1893). Estimated earnings: $50 million

 

Most people have no idea that the song you sing at every birthday party ever is copyrighted material. The song was written by a pair of sisters who were kindergarten teachers. Ownership of the song has traded hands several times over the last century. In 1990 Warner Chappell paid $15 million for the rights. Technically it's illegal to sing "Happy Birthday" in a large group of unrelated people (like an office party) without paying a royalty to the current copyright holder Warner Music Group (which is owned by a private corporate conglomerate called Access Industries). Today the song brings in $2 million a year in royalties ($5000 per day). It costs $25,000 to use the song in a movie or TV show which explains why you often see the characters sing an odd, amalgamated version on screen. This also explains why chain restaurants sing their own custom songs for a guest's birthday. The copyright for "Happy Birthday" expires in 2030 in the United States and 2016 in the European Union, at which point we can all finally sing Happy Birthday without writing a royalty check.

 

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Happy Birthday, brit-gob's Mum.

 

I hope you will diligently pay Warner Music Group if you sing it in a large group of unrelated people. Keep it to family, and I presume it will jolly well be free. :thumbsup:

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