How much does it cost to buy the rights to happy birthday?

Question

For a movie or musical or something.

Thanks

Answer 1

Pat M offers a valid suggestion. There isn't much out there NOT OWNED, or in the public domain.

  Obviously most of us SING the song, "situationally", but to use anything owned, in the sense of profiting from it or any part of it, should have a fee tacked on.

Answer 2

I believe that it's public domain, you don't have to buy it.

Answer 3

Contrary to Popular belief:

Copyright generally subsists for the length of the life of the author plus 50 years or plus 70 years depending on the jurisdiction. Of the two co-writers of the melody, Patty Hill's life determines the length of copyright as she died decades after her sister in 1946. The lyrics on the other hand are copyrighted with reference to their writer Preston Ware Orem who died in 1938.

In jurisdictions where copyright lasts for life of the author plus 50 years, the lyrics and music are out of copyright. In jurisdictions where copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, the lyrics will come out of copyright at the end of 2008 and the music will come out of copyright at the end of 2016.

The documentary film The Corporation claims that Warner/Chappell charges up to US$10,000 for the song to appear in a film and the Walt Disney Company paid the copyright holder US$5,000 to use the song in the birthday scene of the defunct Epcot attraction Horizons.

Somewhere in that ballpark should be right.

Answer 4

You can't!! HAHA :D XD

Answer 5

i dont think anyone owns it.