‘Happy Birthday’ copyright case reaches a settlement

Two years into the legal process, “Happy Birthday to You” may soon belong to the public domain.

After a federal judge ruled in September publisher Warner Music did not have a claim to copyright the world’s most popular song, parties in the case agreed to a settlement this week in Los Angeles’ U.S. District Court.

Should the court approve the undisclosed settlement, the song – which netted Warner $2 million per year in royalties – would become free to perform, according to The New York Times.

Read more from The New York Times.