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# How Much Will Losing “Happy Birthday” Copyright Cost Warner Music?
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/how-much-will-losing-happy-birthday-copyright-cost-warner-music/
- Published: 2015-09-28T10:35:00.000Z
- Updated: 2015-09-28T10:35:00.000Z
- Description: Warner Music has owned what it believed to be a copyright for the iconic song "Happy Birthday" since 1988. But last week, a federal judge declared their copyright entirely invalid.. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/09/how-much-will-losing-happy-birthday-copyright-cost-warner-mu
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Music Business, Songwriting & Music Publishing, copyright, English language, George H. King, Happy Birthday to You, Hollywood, lawsuit, Patty Hill, United States federal judge, Warner Music Group, Warner/Chappell Music, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:28

**[![image from toobbox.com](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b8d15ecdf1970c-150wi "image from toobbox.com")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b8d15ecdf1970c-popup?ref=hypebot.com)Warner Music** has owned what it believed to be a **copyright** for the iconic song **"Happy Birthday"** since 1988\. But last week, a federal judge declared their copyright entirely invalid. How much will the ruling cost Warner Music?

[![image from www.hypebot.com](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201bb087907d7970d-150wi "image from www.hypebot.com")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201bb087907d7970d-popup?ref=hypebot.com)

"Happy Birthday" earned Warner Music Group an estimated $2 million a year, say analysts. The loss of $2 million each year does not counting the wave of claims to refunds and damages that is likely to follow the ruling.

More:
- ### [The "Happy Birthday" Copyright Bombshell](https://www.hypebot.com/happy-birthday-copyright-bombshell/)
- ### [4 Ways Musicians Can Make Money With Happy Birthday Now That It's In The Public Domain](https://www.hypebot.com/4-ways-musicians-can-make-money-with-happy-birthday-now-that-its-in-the-public-domain/)

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