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Beatles vs Apple

loid_void writes "Beatles fan Steve Jobs could lose a large bite of his Apple to his idols, says a report in Forbes. The Beatles' company, Apple Corps., is involved in a legal battle with Jobs' Apple Computer, claiming the hardware manufacturer is in breach of a 1991 agreement that that forbids it from using the trademark for any application "whose principle content is music." The two companies have been involved in a number of court battles over the years involving the use of the Apple trademark." Good summary of all the wacky misadventure the two mega corporations have had.

8 of 496 comments (clear)

  1. Yay copyright by bludstone · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Boy, I sure am glad that copyright laws have so encouraged the creation of this wonderful science.

    Oh wait...
    Nevermind :( ..or is this trademark?

    Anyways, all beatles should already be public domain by now. Its not like these guys need more money to encourage them to make more music. Do you know why? Because the beatles havnt existed in over 25 years... they havnt made anything new.

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  2. Re:Why? by cavac · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    Remember the stories about that big bad software company (let's call it "SUCKS") lawsuiting the hell out of everybody for the last year or so? Apple Music is in quite the same position: Nobody knows them, nobody buys their products, they haven't done any creative work for 3 decades, they may have to close down in the near future. So they look out for the biggest possible cash-cow and sue them; hoping the out-of-court setlement will result in a buy-out of their company. Like SUCKS did with a big opponent (which we call hereby "Big-I"). Although i must say, that Apple Music actually seem to have some points to stand on (which we may call "proof") and they even really own the rights they claim.

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    Look, this thing is totally safe! Built it myself, you know. You just press that button like this and then turn that lev
  3. Re:I want to help the beatles by treehouse · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    There's a difference between The Law and lawyers. The former keeps us from having to decide every issue on the basis of who is the strongest. It is a set of rules which we, as civilized people, agree to so that we don't have to make up things as we go along. When rule of law breaks down, we have things like Abu Ghurayb and Mi Lai. Or Bush v. Gore.

    Lawyers (not MY lawyer, of course) have a vested interested in disputes and in the complexity of the law. So where two parties like Southwest and the other airline could settle a dispute by mutually agreed upon rules, a good lawyer could turn it into a multi-million dollar court case, with them taking a sizeable portion.

    So as we might be tempted to do away with all the lawyers, the idea of doing away with all the law scares me shitless. There's a dialog from A Man For All Seasons:

    Roper So now you'd give the Devil benefit of law!

    More Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

    Roper I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

    More Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you - where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast - man's laws, not God's - and if you cut them down - and you're just the man to do it - d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.

  4. Just a couple of bad apples by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    OMG, the sheer greed of these people. What a bunch of scumbags. Rich people are clearly evil. Thanks for selling us out, Mr. Jobs and company. Nor will I ever pay for Beatles music.

    It's no wonder we live in hell with assholes like these guys running things.

  5. Re:It's not the music store, it's the contract by nattt · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    But the music industry have moved into the computer industry. Apple is still in the computer business when it sells music on line, just as it's still in the computer business when it sells iPods or Logic Audio. Apple are still just selling computer products, which happens, now to include audio music downloads, but because that's now part and parcel of the computer business....

    I know, dodgy logic.... But times move forwards....

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  6. Re:I want to help the beatles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Well, maybe if she drank a little milk her bones wouldn't have been so fucking brittle.

    Vegetarians. Worthless anti-evolutionary bleeding hearts.

  7. Re:AppleCorp as a megacorp? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    And I think you're not aware that sometimes expressions take different forms on the other side of the Atlantic.

    Yes, it happens all the time. For example, "Fight like a man" in France is said "Cry like a pussy."

  8. Re:Spinoff? by lag10s · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    No, they couldn't because they were sued once before by Apple Corps. since they included speakers with their computers. Apple Corps. is just after some money. I personally think that Apple should buy Apple Corps and integrate everything. Apple stock would skyrocket, and Steve Jobs would have a filthy rich company. (Not so filthy, though)