A US federal court has declared that the popular tune for Happy Birthday is not under copyright.
Warner/Chappell has owned the copyright on the song since 1988, but Judge George King ruled that it only applies to specific arrangements of the music, rather than to the song itself.
The lawsuit was brought by singer Rupa Marya and her band, the April Fishes. In 2013 Warner/Chappell sued Marya after her audience spontaneously sang Happy Birthday during a concert.