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View: The Beatles say all you need is…money?
One of the greatest, most versatile bands of the 20th century, The Beatles, has
recently decided the respect and admiration of musicians and the unyielding fame
and adoration of millions of fans spanning generations is not enough. They want
money.
According to a recent article on CNN.com, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono,
the widow of John Lennon and the estate of George Harrison recently entered into
a suit against Apple Computers over the ownership rights to the symbol of the
green apple used by both the Apple Computers iTunes service and Apple Corps,
The Beatles’ record label.
This dispute is both utterly ridiculous and petty. The Beatles have gained worldwide
recognition for their innovative style and are acknowledged by both casual and
serious music listeners as one of the greatest pop culture bands of our century.
The need to defend their symbol against corporations like Apple Computers is
unnecessary because of their already highly recognized music. One might even
contest that they are better known internationally than iTunes.
Because their music is so famous, the reasons behind the decision to sue Apple
Computers seem less like the intentions of helpless musicians defending what
is rightfully theirs. They instead resemble the actions of greedy superstars
who continue to gluttonously consume and take well beyond their portion.
Sadly, this is not the first attempt the remaining Beatles and their heirs have
made to take from Apple Computers for the use of this icon. In 1991, the foursome
and friends made an out-of-court settlement with Apple Computers in the amount
of $26.5 million. But now, with the emergence of iTunes, the hugely profitable
music distributor, those who own the rights to The Beatles and Apple Corps. have
decided they want more.
By continuously suing Apple Computers for the use of the apple logo, The Beatles
and their heirs are contradicting the principles they once professed their peers
and contemporaries to incorporate into their actions. Gone are the songs about
non-conflict, love and harmony. Now all they need is money.
The Beatles have made ungodly amounts of money over the four decades since they
made their debut in America. Most people will never even see a fraction of the
amount of money they made in just a few years.
And while most people do not begrudge them the fortune they made from their music,
many people may begin to lose respect
for the band that once said, “I don’t care too much for money, for
money can’t buy me love.”
But, surely these hypocrisies will not go unnoticed by current and yet-to-be
fans. The Beatles will feel the repercussions of their actions, if not in their
pocketbooks, then in the declining respect fans and music lovers have toward
them.
If they want to prove to their fans their undying commitment to principles they
once so passionately sang about, they should take whatever money, if any, is
won from the suit and donate it to charities. Regardless of their actions after
the suit, The Beatles and their heirs have proven their fans they are worthy
of the bitter, envy-green apple as the true symbol of their music.
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