Our World. Our Minutae.

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Apple Should Just Buy Apple

Title: Apple Should Just Buy Apple Body: Instead of this messy Apple Computer suit with the Beatles Apple Corp Records, Apple should just spend some of that $4 billion dollar cash pile and buy Apple Corp. In a few/dozen years, the remaining Beatles will all be passing on - wouldn't they rather know that Apple Computer is the caretaker of their legacy - an corporation that is certainly not nameless and faceless? A corporation that is the Mac, the ipod, itunes and now GarageBand? For Paul & Yoko (who approved of John's image as part of the THINK DIFFERENT campaign), of all the music related companies out there - who cherishes their music more than Steve Jobs who may have even named his computer after their record label as an homage? Privately held companies are notorious for heirs feeling their share is/was undervalued. It will soon dissolve into lawsuits or having to bring in some third party (record label) that has enough cash to buy everyone out. By selling to Apple now, they can decide to spend it all now or having the option of a more liquid method of distribution. Right now, they are counting on their heirs putting aside differences to resolve matters - they could barely do it as Beatles who created the legacy, what are the odds the heirs will be more likely to? They can also work as part of the agreement that later Beatles records only be sold as a complete LP. For Apple, it will be the coup of coups. No other online store would be allowed to sell BEATLES songs. No matter what else an online store might offer, each review will end with, "... but unlike Apple's itunes music store, you will not be able to purchase any Beatles songs ..." How much is that worth?