Who owns the rights to the Mexican national anthem?

Answer 1

The official name is Mexican National Anthem (in Spanish: Himno Nacional Mexicano). The lyrics were written by Mexican poet Francisco Gonzalez Bocanegra in 1853. In 1854, Catalan composer Jaime Nunó composed the music which acompanies the anthem. Unofficialy, the anthem is sometimes called "Mexicanos, al grito de guerra" (Spanish for "Mexicans, at the cry of war") which is also the first line of the chorus.

An urban legend about the copyright status of the anthem states that it is owned by a United States firm. This however, is not the case. United States copyright law declares the Mexican anthem to be in the public domain inside the United States, since both the lyrics and music were published before 1909.

The lyrics in Spanish, are:

Chorus

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra

El acero aprestad y el bridon;

y retiemble en sus centros la tierra

Al sonoro rugir del canon.

Cina -oh patria! tus sienes de olivo

De la Paz el arcangel divino,

Que en el cielo tu eterno destino

Por el dedo de Dios se escribio.

Mas si osare un extrano enemigo

Profanar con su planta tu suelo,

Piensa -oh patria querida! que el cielo

Un soldado en cada hijo te dio.

Chorus II

-Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente

De la patria manchar los blasones!

-Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones

En las olas de sangre empapad.

-Guerra, guerra! En el Monte, en el valle

Los canones horrisonos truenen

Y los ecos sonoros resuenen

Con las voces de -Union! -Libertad!

Chorus III

Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos

Bajo el yugo su cuello dobleguen,

Tus campinas con sangre se rieguen,

Sobre sangre se estampe su pie.

Y tus templos, palacios y Torres

Se derrumben con horrido estruendo,

Y sus ruinas existan diciendo:

De mil heroes la patria aqui fue.

Chorus IV

-Patria! -patria! Tus hijos te juran

Exhalar en tus aras su aliento,

Si el clarin con su belico acento

Los convoca a lidiar con valor.

-Para ti las guirnaldas de oliva!

-Un recuerdo para ellos de Gloria!

-Un laurel para ti de Victoria!

-Un sepulcro para ellos de honor!

Chorus

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra

El acero aprestad y el bridon,

y retiemble en sus centros la tierra

Al sonoro rugir del canon.

And translated to English:

Chorus

Mexicans, at the cry of battle

lend your swords and bridle;

and let the earth tremble at its center

upon the roar of the cannon.

Your forehead shall be girded, oh fatherland, with olive garlands

by the divine archangel of peace,

For in heaven your eternal destiny

has been written by the hand of God.

But should a foreign enemy

Profane your land with his sole,

Think, beloved fatherland, that heaven

gave you a soldier in each son.

Chorus II

War, war without truce against who would attempt

to blemish the honor of the fatherland!

War, war! The patriotic banners

saturate in waves of blood.

War, war! On the mount, in the vale

The terrifying cannon thunder

and the echoes nobly resound

to the cries of union! liberty!

Chorus III

Fatherland, before your children become unarmed

Beneath the yoke their necks in sway,

May your countryside be watered with blood,

On blood their feet trample.

And may your temples, palaces and towers

crumble in horrid crash,

and their ruins exist saying:

The fatherland was made of one thousand heroes here.

Chorus IV

Fatherland, fatherland, your children swear

to exhale their breath in your cause,

If the bugle in its belligerent tone

should call upon them to struggle with bravery.

For you the olive garlands!

For them a memory of glory!

For you a laurel of victory!

For them a tomb of honor!

Chorus

Mexicans, at the cry of battle

lend your swords and bridle;

and let the earth tremble at its center

upon the roar of the cannon.

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Another View

The anthem was written and composed as a contest call from the mexican government, as in 1854 there were no rights laws it is common sense that the rights of every lyric and music submitted to the contest becomes property of the contest caller, in this case the mexican government.