10 Things You Didn't Know About The Beatles
3. The Beatles Sued Apple (Multiple Times)
If you can stretch your mind back, you might remember the excitement felt in 2010, when Apple announced the entire back catalogue of The Beatles was coming to iTunes. It's hard to imagine there was a time when you couldn't download Come Together on an iPod or iPhone, but that was the sad reality.
The reason for this stretches all the way back to 1978 when Apple Computers entered into a lawsuit with The Beatles' music company, Apple Corps. The Beatles had set up their company in 1968 as a way to invest earnings that would have otherwise gone to the taxman. But the adoption of the Apple name, and a similar Apple logo by the Steve Jobs-ran company, sparked a long-running feud.
The original suit was settled by allowing Apple Computers to continue using the name and logo, as long as they agreed not to enter the music business. Another suit came in 1989, when Apple Computers incorporated MIDI systems into their products, which would allow them to play music. The suit ended in a £26.5 million settlement. But, the launch of the iPod (2001) and the iTunes Store (2003) caused Apple Corps to once again bring a case against Apple Computers. That time, however, Apple Corps lost.
In 2007, Apple Computers bought out all rights to the Apple logo and name, but licensed the use of it back to the original Beatles company with an agreement that they would go into business together.