Beatles catalogue may be finally heading online
Reports say that the Beatles are finally making their catalogue available online. Britain's Sunday Times reported that David Munns, the head of EMI Records' North American division, which distributes the group's entire catalogue, told a web-industry conference in San Francisco that the group's music will be available for download, "soon."
The main reason for the Beatles' group and solo recordings remaining unavailable for download has been the legal actions between their record company Apple and Apple Computer Inc. Earlier this year, the Beatles lost a lawsuit which claimed that the computer company's iPod and iTunes download service broke a 1991 agreement preventing the computer company from using its trademark for products "whose principal application is music."
The Beatles' company is currently appealing the decision, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of hard feelings -- Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs appears in Paul McCartney's new concert DVD The Space Between Us, giving testimonial to the Beatles' brilliance.
Another factor in keeping the Beatles' music off the Internet is the group's current lawsuit against their record labels EMI and Capitol, from whom they are seeking $53.1 million in unpaid royalties.
Despite the suit, EMI/Capitol is releasing The Beatles LOVE soundtrack on November 21st. The album features the music to the group's hit musical with partners Cirque du Soleil, now running in Las Vegas at The Mirage.
So far none of the Beatles' group or solo catalogues is available for legal downloading online, with the exception of a few albums by Ringo Starr and a handful of Beatles tracks on compilations.
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The main reason for the Beatles' group and solo recordings remaining unavailable for download has been the legal actions between their record company Apple and Apple Computer Inc. Earlier this year, the Beatles lost a lawsuit which claimed that the computer company's iPod and iTunes download service broke a 1991 agreement preventing the computer company from using its trademark for products "whose principal application is music."
The Beatles' company is currently appealing the decision, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of hard feelings -- Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs appears in Paul McCartney's new concert DVD The Space Between Us, giving testimonial to the Beatles' brilliance.
Another factor in keeping the Beatles' music off the Internet is the group's current lawsuit against their record labels EMI and Capitol, from whom they are seeking $53.1 million in unpaid royalties.
Despite the suit, EMI/Capitol is releasing The Beatles LOVE soundtrack on November 21st. The album features the music to the group's hit musical with partners Cirque du Soleil, now running in Las Vegas at The Mirage.
So far none of the Beatles' group or solo catalogues is available for legal downloading online, with the exception of a few albums by Ringo Starr and a handful of Beatles tracks on compilations.
Submit the above story to:
Del.icio.us
Digg
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StumbleUpon
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