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Everyone knows how to sing "Happy Birthday to You." But performing the song in movies or on TV requires payment of sometimes hefty licensing fees. Now the song is at the heart of a lawsuit.

Everyone knows how to sing "Happy Birthday to You." But performing the song in movies or on TV requires payment of sometimes hefty licensing fees. Now the song is at the heart of a lawsuit. iStockphoto hide caption

itoggle caption iStockphoto

Music

'Happy Birthday' Hits Sour Notes When It Comes To Song's Free Use

"Happy Birthday to You" is sung everywhere, but because it's copyrighted, it's rarely heard on TV or in movies. A filmmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking to make the song part of the public domain.

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One of screenwriter Nicole Perlman's next projects is a comic based on Gamora, the green-skinned killer played by Zoe Saldana in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.

One of screenwriter Nicole Perlman's next projects is a comic based on Gamora, the green-skinned killer played by Zoe Saldana in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel Studios hide caption

itoggle caption Marvel Studios

Movies

She Was Groot: After A Galactic Hit, Marvel Screenwriter Tackles Comics

Nicole Perlman was the first woman to get a writing credit on a Marvel Studios movie, last year's Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, she's taking on a more earthly challenge: Writing her first comic book.

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Robin Thede is head writer for Comedy Central's The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. She's previously been a reporter for E! News, a writer for BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood and head writer for The Queen Latifah Show.

Robin Thede is head writer for Comedy Central's The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. She's previously been a reporter for E! News, a writer for BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood and head writer for The Queen Latifah Show. Jaxonphotogroup/Courtesy of Robin Thede hide caption

itoggle caption Jaxonphotogroup/Courtesy of Robin Thede

Code Switch

In The Writer's Room, One Woman Quietly Makes Late Night History

Robin Thede's wide-ranging career has included stints in both journalism and comedy. Now, at The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, she's the first black woman to work as a head writer in late night TV.

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Comic-Con Goers Brave Long Lines At Annual Pop Culture Convention

Many of the thousands of people passing through Comic-Con hope to get something exclusive, such as a book, toy, an autograph or encounter with a star, or a sneak peek of an unreleased movie. And in order to get these things, first they have to stand in line.

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Jim Gaffigan

Jim Gaffigan Jemal Countess/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Ask Me Another

According to Jim (Gaffigan)

Comedian Jim Gaffigan talks food, family, and his new TV Land show The Jim Gaffigan Show. Plus, his wife and writing partner Jeannie reveals Jim's deep dark secrets.

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Plus-size women have struggled in the past to find fashionable clothing options. But, with celebrities bringing plus size to the forefront, the fashion industry might wake up.

Plus-size women have struggled in the past to find fashionable clothing options. But, with celebrities bringing plus size to the forefront, the fashion industry might wake up. Mary McLain/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Mary McLain/NPR

As Plus-Size Fashion Gains Popularity, Retailers Play Catch-Up

Celebrities like Rebel Wilson and Melissa McCarthy are helping bring plus-size clothing into the mainstream. But most retailers lag behind, making it difficult for women to find clothes in stores.

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Members of the media are kept behind a moving rope line as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton marches in a Fourth of July parade in Gorham, N.H.

Members of the media are kept behind a moving rope line as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton marches in a Fourth of July parade in Gorham, N.H. Robert F. Bukaty/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Robert F. Bukaty/AP

It's All Politics

Giving Some Rope: A Brief History Of Tensions Between Politicians And The Press

Hillary Clinton's campaign took the term "wrangling the press" literally when it used a rope to control reporters. She and other candidates have a long history of frustration with the Fourth Estate.

This photo from Discovery Channel shows a great hammerhead, one of the largest sharks in the world, during an episode of Shark Week.

This photo from Discovery Channel shows a great hammerhead, one of the largest sharks in the world, during an episode of Shark Week. Discovery Channel/ AP hide caption

itoggle caption Discovery Channel/ AP

Television

After Sketchy Science, Shark Week Promises To Turn Over A New Fin

Shark Week is here, and scientists are afraid. Not of the toothy swimmers — but of inaccuracies, bad science and the demonization of animals that aren't as ferocious as Discovery Channel has made out.

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Greek flags fly beside those of the European Union in Athens. Many people chalk the phrase up to Shakespeare, but its origins likely date back much earlier than that --€” to medieval monks eager for a cop-out.

Greek flags fly beside those of the European Union in Athens. Many people chalk the phrase up to Shakespeare, but its origins likely date back much earlier than that --€” to medieval monks eager for a cop-out. Matt Cardy/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Matt Cardy/Getty Images

History

Is It All Greek To You? Thank Medieval Monks, And The Bard, For The Phrase

Ben Zimmer, language columnist at The Wall Street Journal, explains the origin of the phrase "it's all Greek to me" — and shares a few variants from other languages.

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