“Music industry sources have said representatives of the surviving Beatles are at last discussing ideas for digital distribution with online companies but are asking for as much as $15 million for six months of exclusive rights to the music. That high price has some observers betting that Apple Computer might be the only company ready to pay, particularly if the payment comes attached to a legal settlement in which millions of dollars are already changing hands,” John Borland and Ina Fried reports for CNET News.
Full article here.
the beatles are a bunch of bloodsucking oportunist has-beens
Apple Computer should just buy Apple Corps. The company can’t be worth much more than $15 mil anyway. I don’t think they even own the copyrights to The Beatles songs.
money talks and bullsh*t walks…
everyone has his price
All you need is love — and money, LOTS & LOTS of money!!
The Beatles are now business men and will probably wrap a sweet distribution deal in with a settlement with Apple – Would be great for Apple and the Beatles
Apple Corps still owns the recordings… released and unreleased. Publishing rights to the songs was bought by Sony/ATV and Michael Jackson. I believe Jackson sold back his share to Sony. Publishing means nothing to Apple, but the recordings, that’s another story. Even though the Beatles sold their publishing company, they still get composer royalties for their songs, whether their own recordings or other peoples. It’s a win-win thing for the Beatles.
“the beatles are a bunch of bloodsucking oportunist has-beens”.
Any of us would love to have had the talent and success the group had. If you say you wouldn’t then methinks you are a fool or lying. Bloodsucking they may be, but an agreement is an agreement and if Apple Computer violated that understanding then they are accountable. I know it’s hard for some people nowadays to understand that concept.
Any truth in the rumour Apple are offering $15 for the rights to the “Paul McCartney & Wings” material….
…three times its value (apparently!)
apple should have contested that court ruling in the early 90’s. the beatles had no case.
Yeah, but that was when Scully was trying to kill Apple.
If the Wings stuff is worth only $15, what’s Ringo’s worth?
Or how ’bout George’s “Electronic Music” LP?
How ’bout Lennon’s “Mind Games”?
$15 – that really confused me. You must mean TWD, not USD
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To Eric 24601:
Bloodsuckers the Beatles may be, but “has beens”–never. That is a really ignorant thing to say.
“The beatles are a bunch of bloodsucking oportunist has-beens.”
$15 million? Come on. I love the Beatles, but that seems a bit much. Will having their music be available for digital distribution really be that big a deal? Especially considering Apple only gets a 10� a song, they’d have to sell 150 million just to make that back. I really don’t see what the big deal is. If people want Beatls music they’ll go to Best Buy.
I already have all the beatles stuff in iTunes. Is digital distribution of the beatles music really that big of a deal?
Eric24061
There was never a court ruling in the 90s. Apple Computer and Apple Corps agreed to an out of court settlement. You need to get your facts and your attitude straighten out! ;-]
“Will having their music be available for digital distribution really be that big a deal?”
I think it could be.
Keep in mind, it’s a six-month exclusive. Want Beatles? Use iTunes Music Store now or wait six months for Napster, Sony, MusicMatch, and MSN Music to have it. Picture the ads: Silhouetted Beatles when they flew in to New York for the Ed Sullivan show intersperced with silhouetted screaming fans. “Only on iTunes”
Heck, it’s a draw. And those people who buy Beatles tracks may stick around and buy some Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Donovan, etc., etc.
I could easily believe that Apple would make back it’s $15 million.
“If people want Beatles music they’ll go to Best Buy.”
Why buy Nelly’s “Sweat” from iTMS when I can buy it from Best Buy? Because I only want a few tracks? Because it’s more convenient? Etc., Etc., Etc.
The same rules apply to the Beatles as anyone else. Yes, the “Beatles fanatics” already have the CDs. But there are plenty of “casual” Beatles fans who would love to own a dozen tracks but don’t want to go out and buy the whole CD.
Most probably already own one of their many “best of” albums anyway.
Not really sure The Beatles will be a big drawcard 34 years later.
Remains to be seen I guess.
Don’t know if I’d pay $15,000,000 for an exclusive deal tho… I guess to stop Microsoft or Sony getting it I might.
pkradd,
the settlement was for the case in the early eighties; the case in the nineties was actually tried and Apple Computers lost a 26.5 million dollar verdict.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_computer#Trademark_dispute_with_Apple_Corps
hmmm… seems like every ten years or so (since Lennon was shot), the fine folks at AppleCorps come back to the goose that lays golden apples…
Best route for Apple would be to give the Beatles nothing upfront but give them all Gross Profits from their catalog forever. That way they only make $ on what they sell and it costs Apple nothing. Ahh, never fly with the butt sucking slimey attorney’s.
rogozhin
Sorry but you are wrong and the link you state is wrong. Yes there was a lawsuit in the nineties but it was settled out of court by negotiations between the two sets of legal teams. If you want proof go to http://www.courtservice.gov.uk/judgmentsfiles/j2468/apple-v-apple.htm which is the judgement from the UK court for the current case (as to where it should be held). This gives a good outline of what actually went on.
I’ll say what you clowns are too skerred to say:
teh beatles suck…
moo.
Anyone remember that the Beatles wrong that song: “Money, that’s what I want?” And Taxman?
They know which side of the bread is buttered.
If Apple does this deal, I’m gonna get all the songs I want in six months and that will be that.
Geeze, dosn’t every man woman and child on the planet have all the Beatles stuff in there collections anyway.
Hopefully, this thing gets settled soon.
Then it’ll be the end of the idiotic rants from some MDN posters.
Apple Computer broke an agreement by entering into a market Apple Music was already participating in. The two sides came to an agreement and left the table with a handshake.
Then…. Apple Computer breaks that agreement by entering into the music business. Apple Music is *forced* to protect its registered trademark.
The aggressor isn’t Apple Music, so all of your rants about bloodsucking, moneygrabbers should be directed at your beloved Apple (computers).
That you love Apple doesn’t make them in the right!