Apple settles with Beatles and takes control of trademark

Angus Kidman
Tuesday, 06 February 2007 00:32

IT Industry - Market

Its lawsuit with Cisco over the iPhone might still be awaiting resolution, but Apple has managed to deal with one of its other longstanding legal issues by reaching a settlement with the Beatles over the use of the Apple name.

Apple (which itself recently changed its name from Apple Computer, reflecting its desire to expand more firmly into consumer electronics) and Apple Corps, the Beatles' record label and operating company, have had several bouts of disagreement over the use of the Apple name and logo. In a deal made in 1991, Apple agreed not to enter the music business under that name, a topic which caused further disagreement following the launch of its iTunes store.

Under a new agreement announced today, Apple will now take ownership of all trademarks relating to the name 'Apple', but will license some of those back to the Beatles' Apple Corps, enabling the long-defunct but still high-selling 1960s band to continue using the name for its record label and other projects. All current lawsuits have also been withdrawn.

The terms of the settlement weren't disclosed, but both parties seem happy with the arrangement. We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "It feels great to resolve this in a positive manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future."

Rumours of an agreement over the long-running dispute gathered strength after a number of Beatles' tracks were played during Jobs' Macworld keynote this year. A settlement of the trademark dispute could also pave the way for the Beatles' material to become available on iTunes, a longstanding omission in the music service.

Hinting at that possibility, Apple Corps manager Neil Aspinall commented: "The years ahead are going to be very exciting times for us. We wish Apple Inc. every success and look forward to many years of peaceful co-operation with them."