March 13, 1944
Abbott and Costello’s iconic baseball routine “Who’s On First?” was copyrighted.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed it many times, including several times for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Writing credits are unknown.
In 1999, Time magazine named “Who’s On First?” the best comedy sketch of the 20th century.
Abbott and Costello’s heirs filed a 2015 copyright infringement lawsuit when the sketch was used for more than a minute in the play “Hand to God.” A New York court rejected the claims, ruling the usage was for a limited purpose.
