This should pave the way to a download deal with iTunes (hinted at in the article) which will see The Fabs dominate the download charts - exciting times !

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6332319.stm

Is there anybody out there who hasn't got all the Beatles' tracks he/she needs already? Once or twice?

Maybe they will put the Love-Album on iTunes, but as far as the originals are concerned I'm much more interested in the remastered versions (on CD / Vinyl)

Daily Mirror says Beatles et to earn $500 million from new iTunes deal -

news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/pop...41-1250295-2,00.html

The fact that they will cease to derive record royalties from their recordings in a few short years had nothing to do with it ?
In UK, Europe and most of the World ( not the USA ) artists cease to receive performing royalties after their recordings are 50 years old. So Cliff Richard will be the first to stop receving his royalties next year in 2008 whilst the Beatles will start to lose their royalties in about 5 years time.

When the copyright on the sound recording ends (after 50 years) this doesn't mean that the artists don't get any money for their recordings any more:

1 They can sell the stuff via their on labels/imprints
2 Cliff Richard and the Beatles have contracts with EMI. I have never heard of a clause concerning the question of what happens when the coypright on the sound recording runs out. So I think, if EMI is selling tracks by CR or the Beatles after the end of the copyright term, they still have to pay the artist. (Other opinions, please!)

The interesting question about the Beatles / itunes is:
The copyright of almost all tracks by the Beatles is owned by EMI. But after 40 years of renogation, the group has a lot of control. Apparently, they decided, when / if iTunes gets their music.
Question: Who will get more money from itunes, EMI or the Beatles?

EMI I reckon, but I wish I`d called my own company after an apple:dry:

Anything that may get a young kid to hear the greatest pop songs ever written is good by me!

Even though we all have them 3 times over.