According to the American businessmagazine Fortune, The Beatles are about to sign an exclusive contract met Apple. The digital version of the Beatles music would be for sale exclusively at Apple's iTunes.
So far The Beatles have refused to offer their music on the internet. EMI announced some time ago that that statement was about to change. The Beatles and Apple are also discussing the possibility of a special edition of the iPod. The U2-iPod was a huge success.
If there's indeed an agreement, it is remarkable to say the least. Apple Computers was sued by Apple Corp, The Beatles record company, earlier this year.

I'll be amazed if that happens. I always thought they'd sign with the Microsoft equivilent.

To be honest I've never really understood the beef Apple Corps. have with Apple Computer. I know that there was meant to be an 'agreement' that Apple Computer would have nothing to do with music, but that probably wasn't worth the price of the paper it was printed on. I could understand it more if Apple Corps. had been releasing a lot of 'product' over the years (did I hear someone say back catalogue?), but they haven't. Most of the planet have never heard of Apple Corps. And that probably includes the majority of 'Mac' users.

Here's hoping for common sense.

And you know this will happen before the back catalogue is re-issued.

i can see them finally sharing the peace pipe...but not before finishing the remastering project.

Quoted from sregis

i can see them finally sharing the peace pipe...but not before finishing the remastering project.

Didn't Neil Aspinal say it was done?

I hope they don't run a huge advertising campaign like they did with U2. I know their legacy is already huge and a campaign like the U2 one wouldn't damage it at all (infact it would introduce new fans), but it would just go against everything they have fought for.

and i just bought a new ipod video a couple of weeks ago. dang i should have waited!

Quoted from BlueMeanie

To be honest I've never really understood the beef Apple Corps. have with Apple Computer. I know that there was meant to be an 'agreement' that Apple Computer would have nothing to do with music, but that probably wasn't worth the price of the paper it was printed on. I could understand it more if Apple Corps. had been releasing a lot of 'product' over the years (did I hear someone say back catalogue?), but they haven't. Most of the planet have never heard of Apple Corps. And that probably includes the majority of 'Mac' users.

If you have a contract with one of the richest companies in the world and they break that contract, you have to sue them. You're stealing from yourself if you don't. If a company with annual sales of 14 billion (!) dollars legally owes you $26,5 million (which is how much Apple Corps got in 1991), you can't just say "Never mind".

I know that!

But you're not going to stop a company like Apple Computer, and they know it. Apple Corps is small fish to them, and quite frankly I'd be suprised if they could afford to take them to court in the first place.

Apple should just cut their loses and get on with what they are meant to be doing as a record company, i.e. releasing albums; back catalogue, iTunes (or whoever) downloads, and actually start earning regular cash.

Contrary to what Apple may think, The Beatles are not getting more popular. Albums like Love and 1 may sell truckloads becauseof what they are, and they're carefully released to obtain maximum sales. But the popularity of the back catalogue will wane as each year goes by.

If they want to carry on taking on the likes of Apple Computer and all their might, they'll bankrupt themselves. They are not a rich company in the grand scheme of things.

It doesn't matter at all how big, how relevant or how well known Apple Corps is, or if they've got much of a future. It doesn't matter if Apple Computers getting into the music industry does or does not hurt Apple Corps. It doesn't matter if Apple Corps and Apple Computers are rivals in any way. All that is completely irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that Apple Computers signed a contract and that they broke their promise. So they had to pay. It's that simple.

...and now they both have a huge ammount to gain w/ an ipod tie-in.