In an effort to circumvent the copyright issue entirely, a New Jersey radio station, with the help of the Free Music Archive, held a contest to choose a new "happy birthday" song that was public domain and free to use in any circumstance.
A judge in Orlando, Florida has ruled that the law firm, Kaufman, Englett & Lynd, cannot sue the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida Inc. under the Lanham Act after the firm claimed the negative publicity from the BBB led to a loss of clients.
Circumstances are different in every case and vary from company to company, but it's always important to remember that, even if the first reaction is to take the case to court or settle immediately, there may be another way work out the dispute.
