Apple Inc. and Apple Corps Settle -- iTunes Still Beatles-Free

As with any Apple rumor, there was just a glimmer of truth behind the buzz that Apple would announce a partnership with the Beatles' Apple Corps during the Super Bowl. The recently sparring long-separated Apple siblings today announced a new licensing agreement. It seems pretty beneficial for the boys in Cupertino, with nothing for the Liverpool crowd. Read on for more:

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Under this new agreement, Apple Inc. will own all of the trademarks related to “Apple” and will license certain of those trademarks back to Apple Corps for their continued use. In addition, the ongoing trademark lawsuit between the companies will end, with each party bearing its own legal costs, and Apple Inc. will continue using its name and logos on iTunes®. The terms of settlement are confidential.

What is not clear, however, is whether the Beatles are iTunes-bound. As of now, only two albums on iTunes currently have performances by the Beatles, one of which is the Tony Sheridan tapes they lost control of in the 1960s, the other of which is a spoken-word thing.

This does lend a lot of credibility to buzz that Apple will bring out Beatles content to coincide with Valentine's Day. With the Cirque du Soleil/Beatles album "Love" as a lead-off. Tomorrow's Tuesday, so stay tuned. Maybe the widescreen Beatles iPod rumor was even true. I'll be stunned if it is, but Apple's been weirder before.

Apple Inc. and The Beatles’ Apple Corps Ltd. Enter into New Agreement