Beatles-iTunes talks stall, says McCartney

Tue Nov 25 2008, 18:15 PM

Talks to license The Beatles' back-catalogue for sale via iTunes and other online stores have stalled, says Paul McCartney, citing contractual wrangles between EMI and Apple Corps, The Beatles' multimedia arm. Reports from last year had claimed the tracks would be available digitally from 2008.

"We are very for it; we've been pushing it. But there are a couple of sticking points, I understand," McCartney says, speaking at the launch of his latest album Electric Arguments. "The last word I got back was that it had stalled, the whole process. EMI want something we're not prepared to give them. It's between EMI and The Beatles I think - what else is new?"

The comments come a month after MTV Networks secured the rights to The Beatles' songs as part of an exclusive videogame deal. The release - a spin-off of MTVN's Rock Band game - will launch worldwide next year, following the agreement between Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix.

In a separate statement, an EMI spokesperson tells the BBC that the various parties involved in the digital talks "have been unable to reach agreement but we really hope everyone can make progress soon".

Speaking in November 2007, McCartney said that his former band's digital catalogue was "primed and ready to go" with just "one little sticking point". The Beatles are the best-selling musical group of all time, with more multi-platinum albums than any other band, however no Beatles material is currently available from any legal download store.