Andre Yoskowitz
15 Nov 2010 18:08
After years of negotiations, Apple has secured rights to the Beatles catalog of music, says WSJ, with the company expected to announce the deal tomorrow.
Negotiations between Apple, EMI, and the Beatles had been ongoing for years, with a deal being ironed out just last week.
That being said, the sources also say that while the deal is done, the Beatles or Apple could change plans at the last minute.
The two companies had long been in a legal dispute thanks to the name "Apple." In 1978, the Beatles sued Apple, claiming the computer maker was infringing on the band's trademark. When the Beatles started, they worked under Apple Records, which was owned by the arts-promotion company Apple Corps. Beatles albums all had a picture of an apple (the fruit) on them, similar to the logo of the technology company.
If accurate, Apple would have scored a major deal, as the Beatles have so far not made their music legally available digitally on any platform with the exception of some limited edition flash drives.