Whats the betting the albums wont go online until the day after the divorce with Heather is Finalised. Bet Paul wont want to share any of that income!

The Luke sez: Ah, so what? Who, really, doesn't already have all the Beatles they want? I can't see sales being that high. The people (including me) who are actually excited about the supposed digital remastering will re-buy the catalog--in physical form, for the best possible sound--those who don't care, I don't see them going to iTunes or Amazon MP3 or wherever. I really don't...

1. When do the first Beatles songs come out of copyright in Europe or the USA?

2. Is it true that Michael Jackson owns the copyright for most Lennon-McCartney songs?

There's enough bollocks for sale on-line as it is.

Why would we need more if this 'boy band' shite unless he feels he isn't stinking rich enough.

Anyway, George Martin did more for the Beatles than any of the 'fab four' - there's so many overdubs there's no way they could have played live.

Awaits flames

(I made a flameproof jacket once - wasn't very good but I did asbestos I could)

Whatever that might mean. Sony had the other 50%.

Then Wacko jacko ran out of money, and I don't know whether he still does own his share of the publishing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4544518.stm

Macca may not need the money, but more importantly nor do the pigopolists. Pretty much all their costs for Beatles stuff are long since recovered, but the pigopolists still see plenty people buying Beatles stuff at full price so they carry on selling at full price. (Help DVD special edition: Amazon US $90/GBP40).

Have a look at Tom Robinson's website to see where the money goes from iTunes, and for an interesting approach to "back catalogue" distribution where the rights have returned to the artist: "Free Downloads: iTunes downloads cost 79p per track. Writer/publisher get 6p, Performer 6-8p, Visa/Mastercard 7p, Apple 12p, and Record Company almost 50p Sod that. Help yourself to my songs & share them with your friends." http://www.tomrobinson.com/records/music/index.htm

RECORD COMPANY ALMOST 50P. Apple alone get as much as writer and performer together.

Yes, I did. I put the Beatles' music on the net a LONG time ago.

( ... must not forget to click "Post anonymously" ... )

Copyright (writing) in the UK is 70 years after the death of the last author. As Macca is still very much alive, you will have a long wait. I think performance copyright is 25 years after the performance, but I'm not sure.

Michael Jackson bought Northern Songs, owner of the early Beatles songs. Anything "Lennon & McCartney" after Brian Epstein's death is likely to be owned by Macca and Yoko Ono - certainly anything on the Apple Corp label is.

As I already have them on reel-to-reel, vinyl and CD and ripped to MP3, I don't think will be downloading anything.