Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Court hears copyright dispute over Turtles’ ‘Happy Together’

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York’s highest court has heard oral arguments in a case pitting the owner of The Turtles’ 1967 hit song “Happy Together” against Sirius XM Radio.

The issue in Tuesday’s hearing was whether the copyright holders of recordings made before 1972 have a common law right to make radio stations and others pay for their use.

The lawsuit was filed by Flo & Eddie Inc., a company controlled by two founding members of the band that owns the rights to the recordings. It wants the court to say they’re entitled to royalties.

Sirius XM Radio argues it’s not required to pay royalties for recordings made before the federal Copyright Act was changed in 1972 to establish limited protections for recordings.

The case was referred to the Court of Appeals from a federal appeals court.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles