EMI wins as Beatles catalogue removed from download site

Posted by Chris Smith on Fri 6 Nov 2009

BlueBeat's wander down 15-Penny Lane is ended by EMI.

Beatles fans are singing "Hello, Goodbye" with a little more gusto tonight after the first digital availability of the Fab Four's back catalogue was hastily ended by a lawsuit against download site BlueBeat.

EMI, the record label still in possession of John, Paul, George and Ringo's collaborative work, swiftly issued a writ against the site this week, which was selling tracks for a mere 15 pence and allowing registered users to stream the songs for free.

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A judge in Los Angeles banned the website, BlueBeat.com from offering the songs, after it failed to provide sufficient evidence that it was only offering re-recorded versions of the legendary tracks that exploited a copyright loophole.

This was the first time the Merseybeat heroes had been available for fans to buy online. Protracted negotiations between EMI and Apple Corps, the record company the group set up to protect its back catalogue have prevented The Beatles entering the digital age, against the wishes of surviving members of the band. Sir Paul McCartney recently revealed that a bid to get the band on iTunes had "stalled".

Both sides will return to court in two weeks time, on 20th November, where BlueBeat will appeal against the ban. The download site have little hope of success, but the free publicity won't do they any harm.

For Beatles fans, there's still a long and winding road to legal music downloads. Best dust off those LPs, chaps.

Link: BlueBeat.com (via BBC)