The potential creation of an exclusive contract between Apple and the Beatles is especially notable given the legal wrangles between the band’s record label and the computer company. Apple Corps and Apple Computer have been playing tug-of-war over the Apple name for over 20 years, with iTunes garnering a recent win in a London courtroom over the use of "Apple" as connected to a music service.
The Internet is buzzing with rumors that the Beatles will sign an exclusive contract with Apple’s iTunes music store, making the band’s music available for legal download for the first time. First reported in Fortune magazine, the deal is likely to be announced soon.
Fortune noted that EMI Records was acting as a middleman between Apple Computer and Apple Corps, the company that handles the Beatles’ music library and business interests.
Currently, Beatles music is only available on CD and through file-sharing sites, although the MP3s to be found on P2P sites are not authorized by the group’s record label. An exclusive contract with Apple would put the group’s music only on iTunes and could lead to a Beatles-branded iPod, similar to the U2 iPod.
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