Apple Corps. digitally remasters entire Beatles catalogue for online sales

Beatles to join online music revolution
After years of refusing to take part in the Internet music boom, The Beatles may finally sell their songs online.
April 13, 2006: 9:10 AM EDT

http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/13/technology/beatles.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

LONDON (Reuters) - The Beatles are preparing to sell their songs online after years of refusing to take part in the Internet music boom, according to testimony given by the head of their record company.

Neil Aspinall, a former Beatles road manager and managing director of Apple Corps, was a witness in the company's trademark lawsuit against Apple Computer.

He said that the company was digitally remastering the entire Beatles catalogue, which would pave the way for selling the songs online. "I think it would be wrong to offer downloads of the old masters when I am making new masters," he said in a written statement submitted to the High Court in London earlier this month.

"It would be better to wait and try to do them both simultaneously so that you then get the publicity of the new masters and the downloading, rather than just doing it ad hoc."

They're suing Apple Computer, and at the same time, preparing their music for online sales (with Apple's iTunes Store being by far the most popular online outlet?) Are they feeding the hand that bites them?