Happy Birthday may enter the public domain
If the Eldred v. Ashcroft Supreme Court case to throw out the latest copyright extension is ruled unconstituional, the song "Happy Birthday" will enter the public domain. That means that all the TGIFriday's-style theme restaurants can finally ditch their alarmingly sucky birthday songs -- sung by the staff to get around having to get the ASCAP performance license necessary to lawfully perform "Happy Birthday" in public -- and go back to the old standard. Link DiscussShare this post
Cory Doctorow
Upcoming appearances
* Feb 9, 2012, DeKalb, IL: Day of Doctorow, NIU
* Feb 10-12, 2012, Chicago, IL: Capricon 32
* Feb 13, 2012, Arlington, TX: UT Arlington College of Engineering Distinguished Speaker Series
* Feb 16, 2012, Victoria, BC: 13th Annual Privacy and Security Conference
Recent books:
* Context (essays)
* With a Little Help (short stories)
* For the Win (YA novel)
* Makers (adult novel)
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