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Apple Inc and Apple Corps agree on a deal

Tuesday, 06 February 2007

Apple Inc and Apple Corps agree on a deal

The computer and iPod maker company Apple Inc, formerly known as Apple Computer, has finally resolved its long-running legal battle with Apple Corps Ltd., which is the music publishing label for The Beatles.

Apple Inc now has legal control of the Apple brand and logos but will license certain trademarks back to the Beatles' record company Apple Corps. Each Apple company will pay its own legal fees but no other details of the settlement are revealed to the public.

The latest legal battle between the two companies had started in 2003 with the launch of launch of iTunes.

The two Apple companies had reached a deal in 1981 allowing Apple Computer (now Apple Inc) to use the name as long as it stuck to computers and The Beatles' music company would carry on in the entertainment field. However, when Apple Inc launched the iTunes download store Apple Corps claimed the computer firm had gone into their territory and it was taken to court.

The battle over the Apple name and logo has been going on for over 25 years but has now finally been settled and Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs said: "We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks."

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