Some articles in relation to some background info, in relation to the Apple Corps, V Apple Inc disputes, iTunes and the run up to the release of The Beatles' remasters.
Apple wins court case against Beatles
by Ardi Kolah, Brand Republic 08-May-06, 17:45
LONDON - Apple Computers is not in breach of a trademark agreement made 15 years ago with The Beatles' record label Apple Corps, the High Court has ruled today.
Today's judgment in favour of Apple Computers may not be final because an appeal to the Court of Appeal or possibly the European Court of Justice may be on the cards and could reverse the decision of the High Court.
Full article Here:
http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/557946/Apple-wins-court-case-against-Beatles/
Beatles' friend quits top job at Apple Corps
Neil Aspinall leaves after 40 years
April 10, 2007
http://www.nme.com/news/the-beatles/27612
Here is the statement issued today by Apple Corps:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
APPLE CORPS LTD ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF JEFF JONES AS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND THE DEPARTURE OF NEIL ASPINALL
London, England, Tuesday, April 10, 2007 – Today Apple Corps Ltd. announced that Jeff Jones will become Chief Executive Officer of Apple Corps Ltd.
Apple welcomes Jeff, who comes with over 30 years experience in the music business with a brilliant record. He leaves his position of Executive Vice President, Legacy Recordings/Sony BMG Catalog Worldwide where he has been since 1995.
Apple also announces the departure of Neil Aspinall, who had been with John, Paul, George and Ringo for a spectacular 40 plus years, during which he played an indispensable role for the four. He was there since the inception of the band in Liverpool and has meant so much to the Beatles' family for all these years and still does. However, he has decided to move on. Apple as a whole, and each member of this company, wishes him great success in whatever endeavor he chooses to pursue in the future.
Article, Discussion & various additional links:
e.g.
Update (4/12/07) New York Times Beatle desk reporter Allan Kozinn has his report on the Aspinall situation. He explains that Neil was answerable to Apple’s board, "which is to say the Beatles or their representatives (who in turn are answerable to the Beatles who appointed them), and he could not move forward on any of these projects without their approval." "He was the Beatles’ alter ego, often the bad cop to their good cop. ... But the Beatles have the last word on what will be released, and when and whether to pursue bootleggers or even authors who write about bootlegs. Mr. Aspinall and Apple’s lawyers simply do their bidding," Kozinn writes.
He concludes reiterating the point that Jeff Jones could end up being very good for the Beatles' catalog, citing his work with his former employer Sony Legacy with reissues by the Byrds, Miles Davis and others.
And various blogs are coming up with different theories about Aspinall's departure, citing his health or just a wish to retire. But sources tell us the path down this road may have actually begun with another departure from the Apple ranks sometime earlier.
MORNING UPDATE: The UK Daily Mirror reports Aspinall parted company with Apple after a series of "differences" between him and the board. "Neil quit because he couldn't deal with interference from the board at Apple," the Mirror quotes an insider. The Mirror story concludes, "The board is not Paul and Ringo - it's lawyers and accountants. They want to make as much money as possible." Further, a Daily Mail story says, "Mr Aspinall is thought to have disagreed with moves to allow legal downloads of the Beatles' music on the Apple iTunes site. The source added: 'The board has been blocking and questioning the things Neil wants to do. The way the board want to play it is for money, money, money. All the Beatles albums - the entire back catalogue - is going to be re-released.' "
Business 2.0 included a different version of the insider quote, saying, "The board is not Paul and Ringo - it's lawyers and accountants. They want to make as much money as possible. There is a plan to flood the market and put out a newly-remastered Beatles back catalogue. Neil was against making the Beatles a cash cow."
Former McCartney publicist Geoff Baker was quoted by the Associated Press and the BBC as observing, "Neil was the architect of all the Beatles' success over the past 15 or 20 years. I can't see how the Beatles legacy will be looked after as well without him. I'm amazed that Paul and Ringo are letting this happen."
source & more at:
http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/news/410aspinallout.html
Hello Goodbye: Beatles' 30-Year Adviser Leaves
Yesterday, on the 37th anniversary of Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles, there was another scandal in the group's world.
Neil Aspinall, the group's adviser since they broke up in 1970, was ousted from his position by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono. Aspinall has literally been the invisible Beatle all these years, keeping the group's business running and making sure they made billions of dollars.
But Aspinall, whom this column has always admired for his devotion and loyalty, recently came up against some challenges of the modern music business.
He took the Beatles into their recently settled lawsuit against Apple Inc. He also has been criticized for not letting the Beatles' albums be downloaded, not issuing remastered albums and not maximizing the group's potential in new areas.
Aspinall, who had an accounting background, came in and reorganized Apple Records as Apple Corps.
But Aspinall ran into trouble starting with the lawsuit against Apple Computers a couple of years ago. Sources say that he passed on an offered settlement of around $100 million and then was shocked to see the Beatles lose the case in court.
Recently, Aspinall helped negotiate a final settlement right before the appeals decision was heard.
"But it was far less than the $100 million," a source said. "And everyone was unhappy."
Far more complicated are the issues of the Beatles and downloading. So far, the group's music is unavailable on a legal download service.
Aspinall's theory has been that this keeps the CDs selling. He may be right. Currently, 40-year-old albums like "Abbey Road," "Sgt, Pepper" and the "White Album" are ranked around No. 100 on Amazon.com.
On the other hand, critics complain that this method has severely cut off the group from new generations of consumers who only like their music in that form.
And there's more: The Beatles are currently suing EMI Music for another $60 million in misplaced royalties. Aspinall won a similar suit for them 18 years ago, increasing their royalty rate on CDs and recovering millions.
In the new suit, however, the Beatles are also demanding the impossible: rights to their master recordings, which EMI owns.
EMI, for sale now with no real bidders and dwindling fortunes, can't afford to lose those masters. But the masters ownership means the company has a major say in the downloading of Beatles music, which Aspinall resists.
Consequently, the new downloading deal EMI has just made with Apple's iTunes excludes only the Beatles. Plus, a frustrated McCartney has just exited EMI after 40 years, taking his solo catalog with him.
Aspinall, some say, has not been able to untangle this mess.
Aspinall's replacement is Jeff Jones, a much-admired executive from Sony BMG who is said to be welcome by Beatles fans as well as the board of directors.
Choosing someone from Sony BMG makes sense, since the Beatles are inextricably tied to Sony's music publishing division. In May 2008, Sony/ATV Music Publishing will exercise its right to buy out partner Michael Jackson and will own the Beatles catalog of songs outright.
Jones will likely fix a lot of situations, including the mysterious absence of DVDs for the movies "Help!" and "Let It Be" and the severely needed remastering of the group's catalog.
But Apple's press release announcing Aspinall's exit seems a little unkind for a group that preached "all you need is love."
It ended with the words: "We wish him well in all his future endeavors." Ouch!
Full article here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265245,00.html#3
Geoff Baker astonished the Neil Aspinall has left Apple.
Here’s a clearinghouse of many stories around Neil Aspinall’s departure. All of these articles give various reasons for his leaving the label. Some range from ill health problems to problems with the board to technological issues. Whatever reasons you give for his departure, the end result is still the same.
Full article:
http://beatle.wordpress.com/2007/04/11/geoff-baker-astonished-the-neil-aspinall-has-left-apple/
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Aspinall’s departure comes just two months after Apple Corps settled a trademark squabble with computer company Apple, a deal that could finally pave the way for the Fab Four's songs to be sold on the iTunes music store.
At the time, Aspinall said it was great to put the dispute behind them, with the years ahead expected to be very exciting.
The Beatles have been high-profile absentees from internet music services such as iTunes, but it emerged during the trial of the trademark dispute that Apple Corps was preparing the band's catalogue to be sold online for the first time.
Full Article:
alanweston@dailypost.co.uk
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0800beatles/0050news/tm_headline=fifth-beatle-aspinall-quits-as-head-of-apple%26method=full%26objectid=18886432%26page=2%26siteid=50061-name_page.html
Last edited by Moonlight on Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:27 pm; edited 1 time in total