body: The District Court of California recently ruled that [Warner/Chappell Music do not hold the rights to the 'Happy Birthday' song lyrics](http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2056&context=historical).
  
  
  Assuming that this is not overturned, and given that Warner/Chappell have been pursuing and collecting royalties for the song for some time - a likely reason why, on television and movies, one doesn't hear it very often - are those who paid them entitled to recover the fees that they paid for its use?
  
  
  And, I suppose it goes without saying, even if they *can* sue Warner Chappell, what are their prospects of success, based on legal principles, and maybe not so much based on their prospects of succeeding against such a large corporation?
  
  
  
title: Can Warner/Chappell be sued to recover royalties paid to them for the 'Happy Birthday' song?