In 2016, Brooklyn band Satorii filed a lawsuit asserting that Woody Guthrie ’s iconic folks tune “This Land Is Your Land” belongs in the public domain . Now, in line with a report by The New York Times ’ Ben Sisario, a federal choose has rejected the try and launch the tune from its copyright holders and free it into the general public area. Read the Times’ full report here .

According to the Times, Judge P. Kevin Castel of Federal District Court in Manhattan dismissed the case, ruling that there was no authorized dispute to arbitrate as Satorii had already paid a licensing charge as a way to launch a canopy model of “This Land Is Your Land.” The transaction allowed Satorii to make use of the tune at will, and subsequently there was no case to preside over.

In the preliminary 2016 lawsuit, Satorii, claimed that “This Land Is Your Land” doesn’t belong to its copyright homeowners the Richmond Organization and its Ludlow Music subsidiary. Both entities accumulate licensing charges for the tune, nonetheless Satorii and their attorneys acknowledged that Guthrie by no means renewed his 1945 copyright, and that the tune ought to have been turned over to the general public area way back to 1973 in consequence.

The go well with additionally requested that the writer return any licensing charges for the tune paid by artists since 2010. According to the Times, Satorii paid a $45.50 licensing charge to launch their cowl of “This Land Is Your Land. ”