People can sing happy birthday to you without being arrested. I've done it many times, even when I was poor.
I'd rather see the copyright period shortened so that there is adequate incentive to produce without us having to pay forever. We should pay as much as we need to pay. And not pay more just because the industry has better representation in Washington than the people do.
We could, for example, make a song public domain after 5 years, unless it has not yet produced 10 million in revenue. That is more than enough incentive to write a song.
"Happy Birthday to You" is copyrighted, and public performances of the song likely count as copyright infringement. That is the reason that most major chains have their own version of the birthday song. I am not claiming that Warner is going to send a paramilitary team into your home the moment you sing the song; it is, however, a commonly given example of how out-of-control the copyright system has become.
I'd rather see the copyright period shortened so that there is adequate incentive to produce without us having to pay forever. We should pay as much as we need to pay. And not pay more just because the industry has better representation in Washington than the people do.
We could, for example, make a song public domain after 5 years, unless it has not yet produced 10 million in revenue. That is more than enough incentive to write a song.