The Beatles and Apple Still Unable to Reach iTunes Distribution Deal

[JQW]

As I mentioned earlier, it's all down to the contract between the group and EMI.

When the initial contract expired in 1976, EMI went to town with re-issues. They put out several pretty poor compilation albums (e.g. Ballads, Love Songs, Reel Music), as well as issuing a few new single couplings. EMI was eventually taken to court as the group were against this sort of thing happen. It took some time to settle, but in end they won, and it gave them the right to determine what EMI can and can't issue worldwide.

The advent of digital downloads has caused severe problems with this settlement, as the concept didn't exist when it was drawn up.

One issue is that EMI will have to act soon. The copyright on the earliest of the groups EMI recordings will expire in 2013, allowing anyone to upload them to the iTunes store, assuming that the EU doesn't extend copyrights in the meantime.

 

[0dev]

I wonder how much piracy has occurred because of this BS? Quite a bit, I assume.

 

[eye]

I listen to the Beatles without them being on iTunes. Crazy, huh?

 

[Mr. McMac]

I listen to the Beatles without them being on iTunes. Crazy, huh?

Not crazy at all. I still listen to my collection on vinyl when I'm not being lazy.

 

[MrSmith]

My kids would disagree. They are 8, 10, and 11.

Seriously? Having your favourite pop tunes crammed into their impressionable craniums their entire lives makes them impartial judges?

 

[iQuit]

Isn't it too late for negotiations? All the Beatles fans have already pirated or bought the music from another source.

 

[scott911]

Anyone who cares about this matter would want better quality than iTunes offers - I.e buy the CDs, and rip it at a reasonably high bitrate.

 

[John.B]

Seriously? Having your favourite pop tunes crammed into their impressionable craniums their entire lives makes them impartial judges?

Are you even a parent?

My kids, 7 and 12, grew up listening to my music collection, but both are fully capable of deciding what they do and don't like in music.

 

[MrSmith]

Are you even a parent?

Yes. That's how I know what I'm talking about.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Beatles fans, I recommend this:
http://sgtpepperlive.com/

I saw it last night. It was incredible.

 

[John.B]

Beatles fans, I recommend this:
http://sgtpepperlive.com/

I saw it last night. It was incredible.

This is what I got when I went to that link:

Reported Attack Site!

This web site at 159.148.117.52 has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.

Looks like their site may have been hacked.

 

[thermodynamic]

I am not a big fan of them but this is a bit ridiculous.

As is the silly dispute preventing the 1960s "Batman" from being released on DVD.

Hasn't anybody heard of "profit-sharing", or are these companies so greedy they prefer $0?!

 

[JediZenMaster]

Are you even a parent?

My kids, 7 and 12, grew up listening to my music collection, but both are fully capable of deciding what they do and don't like in music.

I agree with this and while i'm not a parent i grew up listening to my parents records. My mom was into 70's R&B (Al Green, The stylistics, Stevie Wonder) and my dad loved Classic Rock (Rush , Styx, The beatles, Derek and the dominos) and as a result i'm a pretty well rounded person and i have a great taste in music.

But their taste in the music was not forced on me. I simply chose to listen to it and liked it.

 

[NightFox]

All the people questioning why we even need the Beatles on iTunes when fans will have their material already and the music is of no interest to the younger generation, do you really think that if/when the catalogue is released the iTunes Top 10 won't be full of Beatles tracks for weeks?

How many people know 'Yellow Submarine' but don't own it, would never go out of their way to buy a CD with it on, wouldn't go to the effort of downloading a pirate copy, but when it suddenly appeared on the iTunes home page with a convenient 'download' button next to it and a 99p price tag...

I'm sure a large amount of sales on iTunes are probably down to this sort of impulse buy - I've certainly bought a few old nostalgic 80's tracks that have appeared in my Genius lists that I would never have gone looking for otherwise.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

This is what I got when I went to that link:

Looks like their site may have been hacked.

I don't know. I just clicked it and it took me to the site.

Try googling "cheap trick" and "Sgt. Pepper" and "vegas"

 

[ten-oak-druid]

As many have said, you can get the music on CD.

The biggest issue in finding older media content?: WKRP in Cincinnati does not have the original music selection due to licensing. They dub over it in new releases. It's not the same.

As far as the Beatles go, you can be done with an order through Amazon for the CD by the time it takes to complain about the itunes/Beatles issue. It takes about a minute to import a CD.

 

[CFreymarc]

Curse you, Ono, you've jipped us once again!

How a woman that didn't contribute a single note to the Beatles anthology has so much control is beyond me. IMO, if John just stuck with a local Liverpool girl, we'd have at least three more Beatles albums into the disco era.

 

[AceWilfong]

I knew from the beginning that she was a big mistake.

 

[CFreymarc]

As is the silly dispute preventing the 1960s "Batman" from being released on DVD.

You want pathetic? I think the worst is the series of Jack Hill B-horror adventure / movies that went from the late 50's to early 80's movies where someone is asking absolute ridiculous royalties for DVD rights. Some are out on VHS and that is about it.

 

[CFreymarc]

I knew from the beginning that she was a big mistake.

Honestly, my personal prediction is when Yoko dies, it is going to be a watershed event for Beatles fans. I guess a LOT of material is going to come out to whomever wants to profit off the estate.

It has been rumored for now over thirty years an Abbey Road Studio album that was in mid-mix when they broke up. I am sure she or someone close to her is sitting on those studio masters.

It is only a decade or so for that to happen.

 

[orbiterdictum]

I thought Sony bought the beatles musicrights from Michael Jackson? I have no idea if Sony is a friend or foe to SJ?

Neither. SJ is Magneto and everyone else is an X-Men. One thing for sure is that Sony is definitely not a part of the House of M(ouse).

 

[JediZenMaster]

Honestly, my personal prediction is when Yoko dies, it is going to be a watershed event for Beatles fans. I guess a LOT of material is going to come out to whomever wants to profit off the estate.

It has been rumored for now over thirty years an Abbey Road Studio album that was in mid-mix when they broke up. I am sure she or someone close to her is sitting on those studio masters.

It is only a decade or so for that to happen.

A decade? I highly doubt that. Yoko is in pretty good health and quite honestly people from Asia and Japan live alot longer than most americans also Yoko is a woman and women have higher life spans.

She's 77 right now so she could easily live to be 97 or 99 in which case that would be another 30 years. Not trying to be rude but the tone of this thread from some posters seem to be wishing ill will on her health and while i may disagree with people i wouldn't wish death or anything on them.

 

[3lionsbecks]

The Beatles. Greatest Rock n Roll band of all time.

Done.

 

[CFreymarc]

A decade? I highly doubt that. Yoko is in pretty good health and quite honestly people from Asia and Japan live alot longer than most americans also Yoko is a woman and women have higher life spans.

She's 77 right now so she could easily live to be 97 or 99 in which case that would be another 30 years. Not trying to be rude but the tone of this thread from some posters seem to be wishing ill will on her health and while i may disagree with people i wouldn't wish death or anything on them.

Too late, Yoko is on the Celebrity Death Bet List of many morning radio show teams already. All your general statistics are right but you forget about living in New York. That town takes at least ten years off your life just in the attitudes.

 

[NightFox]

She's 77 right now so she could easily live to be 97 or 99 in which case that would be another 30 years.

Is this something to do with your avatar?