WarnerChappellMusic
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'Happy Birthday' settlement puts the song in the public domain
Since 1988, Warner/Chappell has had an iron grip on the copyright for "Happy Birthday to You." Artists couldn't sing it on a recording without paying up, even though it's virtually ubiquitous in real life -- it's widely considered the most popular English-language song in history. At last, though, logic appears to be taking hold. In the wake of a lengthy class action lawsuit, Warner has agreed to a $14 million settlement that will put "Happy Birthday" in the US public domain well ahead of 2030, when the label expected the copyright to run out. So long as the ruling holds, you can expect to hear those very familiar strains all over music, movies and TV shows in the near future.
Warner Music acquires Microsoft game music rights
Warner Chappell Music, the publishing division of Warner Music Group, has reached an agreement to claim, administer, and license music compositions owned and controlled by Microsoft. The catalog includes several thousand compositions; notably those featured in the Halo, Age of Empires, Fable, and Kameo series. Music composed for future Microsoft published games is also included in the deal.Warner Chappell will be responsible for creating new opportunities to showcase Microsoft's music worldwide. "By partnering with Warner Chappell, we can continue to extend the value and experiences for our music and also inspire and give further recognition to the composers who are dedicated to working on video games," said Microsoft senior director Ed Ventura.
