‘We Shall Overcome’ copyright; Big Apple Circus’ Chapter 11

Civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” — revived in recent years for vigils over gun violence — is caught up in a lawsuit over copyright.

The suit, filed in April on behalf of the We Shall Overcome Foundation, argues that the song was adapted from a 19th century black spiritual and should be part of the public domain.

The suit argues that the version of the song registered for copyright in 1960 and 1963, by Pete Seeger and others, includes only minor alterations.

The artsy, one-ring Big Apple Circus is filing for bankruptcy protection after four decades of entertaining the world.

The Chapter 11 filing says the troupe, which set up each year at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, has debts of $8.3 million, against assets of $3.8 million.

is refusing to testify at a congressional hearing next week on a settlement between the company and the

Senate Judiciary Committee

, a Mylan attorney said company executives wouldn’t testify at next Tuesday’s hearing because the settlement is a pending matter and the Justice Department would also not be attending.