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A 25-year dispute between the Beatles and the Apple computer company over the use of the apple logo was settled yesterday at the doors of the Court of Appeal in London.
The agreement between the makers of the iPod and the two surviving Beatles, John Lennon's widow Yoko
Ono and the estate of George Harrison, could now pave the way for the Beatles' back catalogue finally to be released on the internet.
In the latest round of a dispute that had its first airing in 1981 the two sides went to court over a 1991 trademark deal. The Beatles claimed that Apple had breached the agreement by breaking into the music business through the introduction of iTunes, which displayed the apple logo on screen.
Apple Corps, the guardian of the Beatles music, wanted the High Court to award damages and stop the American company using the logo in its music operations.
But in May last year a judge ruled that the computer company used the apple logo in association with its store, not the music, and so was not in breach of the agreement.
Mr Justice Mann ruled that Apple Computers had not "crossed the line" with downloads.
He said it was all a matter of subtle interpretation as to whether the music store was either selling recordings or transmitting data.
It was his view that the service was not being used to sell the music but the software.
Apple Corps, facing a legal bill of up to £3 million ($8.6 million), vowed to fight on and take the case to the Court of Appeal.
Yesterday the two sides agreed to end the dispute, which could finally pave the way for the Beatles songs to be sold on the iTunes music store.
The two companies, who agreed to pay their own legal bills ahead of the appeal due to start this month, said Apple Inc would now own all the trademarks related to "Apple" and would license certain trademarks back to Apple Corps for continued use.
"We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks," Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said.
Neil Aspinall, manager of Apple Corps, said it was great to put the dispute behind them and move on. "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."
In the court case last year Apple, which has sold over a billion downloads, had argued that iTunes was primarily a data transmission service and that it was permitted by the agreement.
The Beatles are the most high-profile group to have withheld their music from internet music services such as iTunes.
Currently, the only Beatles songs for sale on iTunes are covers and tributes.
Long before Apple Inc began selling music, the company then known as Apple Computer Inc and Apple Corps agreed not to trespass in each other's field of business.
- INDEPENDENT