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He drives a hard bargain that Jobs does.

With the Beatles/iTunes stories and the iPhone stories, how many of them are just making guesses based on other stories that are based on guesses? It's like the old "telephone" game, where one person passes on to the next person. Where did it start? How do we know that it was not pulled from the rectum of some analyst?

I'll wait to hear more proof positive on these types of stories.

This will add the the clout of itunes and Apple in the music industry.
whether or not you like the Beatles doesn't matter.
This will be big news and Apple is right in the middle of it.
If Microsoft got the deal first, it would suck for Apple.

I heard on a PodCast (can't recall which) that the British copyright laws changed (or are about to) and limit the length before things go into the public domain. The Beatles stuff is old and now has a limited time to make hay before it's all public, Could have something to do with the sudden movement on the Beatles front.

There doesn't appear to be any new reporting in this story -- no additional sources or information.

It looks like it's just a rewrite of the Fortune piece.

This would pretty much kill any competition for the duration of the deal. Too bad they couldn't announce it the day Zune was announced. That would have been hilarious.

Correction needed:

Apple has sold over 200 million songs through iTunes and 68 million iPods in their various forms worldwide.

Oooh. This could make for some nice promotions for the Christmas season.

If they can roll it out in time.

How about "The Compleat Compleat Beatles Digital" catalog?

All the 13 or so original British albums, the weird thing they did a few years ago with John's tapes. The even weirder "Love" thing they are promoting now. All sorts of extras etc.

What would that cost? Like $250 or more?

They could sell it as a pre-order even. With a gift card. You know how many, guessing here, but I bet I'm right, wives would buy that for their Beatle-geek husbands? Along with a new iPod.

Big cash money for bits that would get downloaded over a few weeks.

Beatles music on iTunes is our generation's flying car. Always just around the corner, never quite happens.

Music that old should be in the public domain. The big companies own Washington and keep stuffing new copyright laws down our throats. It's time for things to change...

PXLated: British recorded music copyright expires after 50 years, so the Beatles records will start coming into the public domain in about seven years. Record companies are lobbying to have this increased, but nothing has happened... yet.

Huh?

Apple has sold well over 1.5 billion songs via iTunes. They past 200 million sold a long, long, long time ago...

"I heard on a PodCast (can't recall which) that the British copyright laws changed (or are about to) and limit the length before things go into the public domain. The Beatles stuff is old and now has a limited time to make hay before it's all public, Could have something to do with the sudden movement on the Beatles front."

Thats only in the UK. Copyright laws in the US extend 95 years.
Either way they should just get the damn stuff out there and start making money from it. It would also be a nice time to introduce a higher bitrate.

Also would be cool to see a Beatles iPod with and laser etched back case that has cover artwork from an album cover like Revolver or Let it Be.

Another time factor putting the squeeze on the Beatles is that their old fans are, well, old. The franchise is diminishing in value along with number of their surviving fans. It's time to use it or lose it.

Surviving fans are diminishing? If anything, the Beatles are a band who pick up new fans daily. The same won't be said of most of the garbage pushed on airwaves these days.

How about Steve introducing Sir Paul during Macworld keynote?
It might rock the house.

Sir Paul is a wimp with little talent

Would you care for some dung wioth your beatle?

The length of time a work stays out of the public domain hasn't changed fro 50 years. The reason why it was in the news was because there was a campaign to extend the length of time but this was unsuccessful.

The reasoning was that performers are living longer and still want to be able to make money from recordings made earlier in their career.

This is a marriage made in Heaven and, past antagonism aside, a slam-dunk no-brainer. It would be really dumb of Apple Corps. to go with any other distributor.

If Beatles music is the most popular illegal download on earth, what makes them think there is any legal download demand left?

That ship has sailed long ago.

That rock and roll music is just noise. Those "musicians" should all get haircuts and then get jobs.

I don't know why youngsters today look up to those rockers with their drugs and profanity. I find that rap "music" especially deplorable. True upstanding role models like that Steve Ballmer fellow don't have a chance.

Support our troops.

When Apple Computer, via a court case, originally agreed not to enter the music industry and Apple Corp agreed to not enter the computer industry, there were only records.

You can now buy Apple Corp's Beatles music in computer digital form on CD-ROMs that form a part of the computer industry and rumoured to soon to be available to download to computers and iPods.

Maybe Apple Computer should now be suing Apple Corps for entering THEIR industry.

BTW this is a joke, chill.

Let it be.

Once Apple iTunes has the Beatles, Microsoft is done in the music business.

Ya just can't assume anything ... "Beatles Generation?" Who might that be? Certainly the "Boomers." And every generation since. The Beatles sold more "records" in 2004 than any other band or group alive, dead or otherwise. Each generation discovers them anew. I hardly think the market for their recordings has dried up.

Think a nice Apple Green Nano with every single Beatles tune on it. It'll sell.

RE: Dave - "Huh?
Apple has sold well over 1.5 billion songs via iTunes. They past 200 million sold a long, long, long time ago..."

More correctly, they PASSED 200 million a long time ago, in the past.

<i>No one escapes the Grammar Police! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise....
Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency....
Our three weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency... and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope....
Our four... no...

</i>

why buy from isnooze for the iplod when i can download for free from limewire? sir paul and sir ringo are rich enough.

Screw the Beatles. I wan the complete works of Jame Brown. "I feel good da d a da dah..."

If this happens, iTunes will be more popular than Jesus.

I might consider getting a BeatlePod if it came available.

Jimi Hendrix iPod, now that is something I would buy no questions asked, or maybe not since all goes to some other people and no money can bring back him or his innovation...

Nothin's going to bring back John and George either. But you're right, Hendrix had a lot miracle music to give if he hadn't died so young. Of all those that died before their time, Jimi is the one I regret and miss the most.

Another poor example of Apple trying to copy Microsoft. The social Zune library has had music squirting since it was first created. Who could forget that Microsoft lead the way with giving royalties on their Zune to the poor record companies.

And the Zune doesn't stop there. When the band "Infinite Puke" releases it's new album during 2011 all 12 operating Zunes will be able to squirt it out. It will be just a matter of time before the Zune takes over the 6 billion iPods that are out there. Just you wait and see.

Welcome to the social.
Your passion, our bank account

maybe Sir Paul needs some additional funding for his divorce settlement ?

Personally, he should tell them to go whistle !