Abstract
Our research paper is based on the song “Happy Birtday to You.” Synopsis of scenario:
An arbitrator who has recently been assigned to resolve a legal dispute between Bobby Bandleader, owner and operator of Bobby’s Bistro, and Johnny Singstealer. The verdict is based on copyright infringment that Johnny Singstealer had inherited. Bobby Bandleader vs. Johnny Singstealer
Aferter investigatin and researching the song "Happy Birtday to You” sang by Bobby Bandleader, we came to the conclusing that there are copyright infringments based on copyright law. The song has been a copyright of Johnny Singstealer that owns them by inheritance. However, by 17 USC § 302 - Duration of Copyright: Works created on or after January 1, 1978, (a) In General.— Copyright in a work created on or after January 1, 1978, subsists from its creation and, except as provided by the following subsections, endures for a term consisting of the life of the author and 70 years after the author’s death. In this case since the copyright was enherited, and by law the right to make the work public has ceased after the death of the copyright holder.
Copyright Inheritance:Certain elements of copyright can be inherited. Copyright can be inherited by natural persons, but not by companies. Copyright can be inherited by will or by law. After the author's death, some of the rights included in the copyright are inherited by his or her heirs, who re entitled to use them. This applies for all intangible rights, except:
• the right to make the work public;
• the right to change the work; and
• the right to suspend the use of the work.
Intangible rights can be used by the inheritors until the legal period for protection of the copyright expires. Where there are no living heirs, copyright is conntrolled by the Ministry of Culture.
Fact: "Use of the notice may be important because it informs the