‘Happy Birthday’ Song Declared Public Domain.

“Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday dear reader / happy birthday to you!” Yup, we can totally do that now. A judge recently declared that the long-thought-valid Warner/Chappell copyright on the song is anything but. Congratulations to the employees of any mid-level casual dining restaurant, you’ve been freed from the shackles of elaborate cooperate penned birthday songs. Congratulations to film characters experiencing birthdays, you can finally do more than wordlessly blow out the candles on your cake. Congratulations—and happy birthday—to us all.