• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

EMI, Apple online deal: Beatles still not for sale

Adjust font size:

LONDON, England (CNN) -- EMI Group has agreed to make its music catalogue available through Apple Inc.'s iTunes store without copy protection.

Apple is the first online retailer to get the rights to sell the British music giant's downloads.

"The new higher quality DRM-free music will complement EMI's existing range of standard DRM-protected downloads already available," EMI said in a statement on Monday.

"From today, EMI's retailers will be offered downloads of tracks and albums in the DRM-free audio format of their choice in a variety of bit rates up to CD quality."

But a long-awaited announcement that The Beatles would be part of Monday's deal was not to be.

EMI and Apple said they were still hoping to make the Fab Four's music available soon.

Beatles recordings have been distributed by EMI since the early 1960s. But the group's own music company, Apple Corps, is a long-time holdout in making their songs available to Internet services.

The two Apples have also had a long legal battle over copyright to the name and logo. The dispute was recently settled, leading to speculation that Beatles music would soon be available on iTunes.

Apple Corps was founded by the Fab Four in 1968 and is still owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, the widow of John Lennon and the estate of George Harrison.

EMI's other artists include The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Pink Floyd and Joss Stone.

Apple Inc. chief executive Steve Jobs said earlier this year urged the world's four major record companies, including EMI, to start selling songs online without copy-protection software, known as DRM, for digital rights management.

DRM software is designed to thwart piracy but also makes using music cumbersome for many consumers.

Speaking at a joint news conference Monday, Jobs said Apple would now approach the other labels to seek similar agreements.

Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Prosecutor: Palin abused power
• Rage on the McCain trail
• Jolie breastfeeds on cover
• Venezuela closes some McDonald's
• Will 'Troopergate' cause problems for Palin?

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan