Apple Should Pay Apple Corp the iTunes Way
The recent news of Apple Corp suing Apple Computers troubles me. Let me get this straight, Apple Corp., the company formed by the legendary band, the Beatles, is suing Apple Computers for violating the settlement they won over them during the first years of Steve Job’s Apple.
Roger Friedman of Fox News writes, “When Apple Computers first came into existence, the Beatles’ lawyers sued—and won—over the use of the corporate name. The Fab Four, it was widely known, already had their own company called Apple Corps. (Ironically, Jobs admitted to naming his company as a tribute to the Beatles.) The result of the suit was a huge cash settlement and a promise that the Apple logo and name would only be used for computers—and never for a music company.”
Well Mr. Jobs, I have a plan for you. It is obvious that the lawyers for Apple Corp. are going to win. And it is pretty definite that your company is going to have to fork over mad amounts of cash again. There might be a way for everyone to win. Why not see if instead of paying Apple Corp say, 100 million dollars in a settlement, you see if you can make available a song from the Beatles catalog free for the first 1 million customers.
I propose, because the iPod and the iTunes Music Store are revolutionary, that you see if you can get Apple Corp to make available, the Beatles 1968 hit, “Revolution” to the first 1 million users. For every customer that downloads it, you pay Apple Corp 10 bucks. That’s way more than Apple Corp would ordinarily receive for just 1 song, it would drive traffic to the iTunes Music Store, and it would expose the Beatles to a new legion of potential fans. Everyone wins. What do you think?
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Comments
It’s not a bad idea and could be part of a settlement. But I don’t think that Apple corps it out to get Apple computer just for the cash.
I bet Apple corps took their time in making their final decision to sue. In the end it’s about protecting your Brand, protecting your identity. I admit that Apple corps may have no interest in having their name in the media. They don’t really benefit from any publicity, good or bad.
Apple corps function is to oversee and to protect their stakeholders assets and should in turn protect their itself to shield their stakeholders. A brand itself is an asset and any company is duty bound to protect their assets.
A cash settlement is pointless if their is no safeguard to protect what’s left of their brand. But this still raises the question. What’s Apples next move? A concession will have to be made.
How about just having the entire Beatles library on there wihtout Apple(the innovative one) making a single cent(the copper one) on them. So forever the Beatles make strait 99cents on each song purchased at the music store.
This would obviously drive traffic, and hell, i bet Apple would be willing to do that anyways just for the traffic.
Well, Apple’s legal team knew about this issue long before Apple Cops brought the suit on. They wouldn’t have proceeded witht the iTMS if they thought that this might become a crippling issue. As a result, I’m sure that Apple Computers expects to sucessfully defend themseleves or has figured the costs of settlement into the business plan for the iTMS. Or both. Most likely, they’re going to argue that they are not a music company in any way that violates the terms of the agreement, or that Apple Corps has not properly guarded their brand or something along those lines, and probably have a more than decent chance of winning.
So while this isn’t a bad idea, I doubt it would even come to that. But to me, the best idea is to buy Apple Corps out, and the entire Beatles collection exclusive to iTMS. (Incidently, I ripped that idea off of “As the Apple Turns”).
I don’t think that would work…I’d go with what MarkKawakami said…
Sorry…..Michael Jackson owns the publishing rights to a lot of songs in the Beatles catalog…..Revolution is probably one of them.