According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, “Happy Birthday to You” is the most recognized song in the English language.

The melody comes from the song “Good Morning to All” which was written and composed by sisters Patty and Mildred Hill in 1893 and published in Song Stories for the Kindergarten by the Summy Company as a greeting song for teachers to sing to their students.  Mildred wrote the melody, and Patty the lyrics.

“Happy Birthday to You” first appeared in print in 1912 using the melody of “Good Morning to All” with different lyrics. Its popularity continued to grow through the 1930′s, with no author identified for the new lyrics, nor credit given for the melody from “Good Morning to You”.

In 1935 “Happy Birthday to You” was copyrighted as a work for hire by Preston Ware Orem for the Summy Company, the publisher of “Good Morning to All”.

The song’s current owner, Warner Music Group continues to insist that one cannot sing the “Happy Birthday to You” lyrics for profit without paying royalties: in 2008, Warner collected about $5000 per day ($2 million per year) in royalties for the song. This includes use in film, television, radio, anywhere open to the public, or even among a group where a substantial number of those in attendance are not family or friend to whoever is performing the song.

Professor Robert Brauneis cited problems with the song’s authorship and the notice and renewal of the copyright, and concluded “It is almost certainly no longer under copyright.

In European Union (EU) countries the copyright will expire December 31, 2016, while in the United States, the song is currently set to pass in to the public domain in 2030.

Patty and Mildred Hill were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 12, 1996.  The Hill Foundation continues to receive royalties on public performances of the song to this day, estimated to be about about $1 million a year.

more: Happy Birthday to You – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.