SAN FRANCISCO — In a ruling that could upend an 80-year licensing campaign for the song “Happy Birthday,” a federal judge in Los Angeles has concluded that Warner/Chappell Music Inc. doesn’t own a valid copyright for the song’s lyrics.
The ruling Tuesday from U.S. District Judge George King of the Central District of California is a loss for Warner/Chappell and its lawyers at Munger, Tolles & Olson. Plaintiff’s lawyers at Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz hope to certify a class action to recoup the millions in dollars in licensing fees collected on the tune.
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