After a 32-year legal dispute between The Beatles‘ Apple Records and the computer giant, Apple Inc., the two sides have finally resolved all issues regarding the use of the name Apple. As a result of this new settlement, officially announced yesterday, The Beatles entire catalog will now be available on iTunes.
The news would have had a much bigger impact a couple of years ago, because as The Grateful Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow told The New York Times: “Anybody that hasn’t managed to come up with a digitized version of the Beatles’ songs by now never liked the Beatles.” Well, that’s a bit strong, but the point is taken.
Ringo Star, one of two Beatles still alive, said on word of the news: “I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes.” And Yoko Ono, the widow of the late John Lennon (who was assassinated in December, 1980), said she was glad the settlement happened during “John’s 70th birthday year.” (see our interview with Ono last spring).
But not everyone is trumpeting the news; Stereogum wrote: “For some it will be a moment of arrival and dominance for the digital format and the iTunes store; for most, though, this news is a snore.”
A press release from Apple corp. states that starting Tuesday, all of The Beatles’ original 13 albums are being sold as a special digital Beatles Boxed Set for $149, which includes the Live At Washington Coliseum (1964), an iTunes exclusive. The deal also comes right in time for the Christmas holiday shopping season.
In apparent reaction to the news, Amazon has slashed the price of The Beatles Stereo Box Set (CD-only) from $259.98 to $129.99.
All Things Digital is reporting that the deal that gives Apple Inc. exclusive rights to sell The Beatles digital catalog will extend through the end of 2011.
“We Can Work It Out” – The Beatles from Rubber Soul (1966)