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Report: Activision, MTV vying for Beatles rights

The Financial Times reports the Fab Four are a step closer to being featured in either a Rock Band or Guitar Hero game.

The rumours have been circulating for a while now that the copyright holders of the Beatles' music are going to finally give the go-ahead for their tunes to be used in a game.

According to the Financial Times, representatives of the Beatles have been in talks with both Activision and MTV Games about licensing the band's back catalogue. Activision currently publishes the Guitar Hero series, including a multi-instrument version called Guitar Hero World Tour due out this autumn, whereas MTV Games is responsible for rival Rock Band.

A final deal could be "reached in a matter of weeks," as reported by the FT, which cited a source familiar with the talks. The deal, worth several million dollars, would have to be approved by both EMI (the record label that owns the master recordings) and Apple Corps (which looks after the band's business interests).

So far, Apple Corps has been hesitant about digital licensing and other new copyrights; Apple Corps was slow to release albums on CDs, and have yet to let iTunes carry the band's songs due to legal disputes.

However, Apple has recently allowed Beatles' compositions to be used on popular TV show American Idol, in Las Vegas Cirque de Soleil show The Beatles Love, and in Julie Taymor's 2007 film Across the Universe.

The chief executive of Sony/ATV Music Publishing (owner of more than 200 Beatles copyrights), Martin Bandier, commented, "To my view, it's only a matter of time before we see Beatles songs that are the original recordings in motion pictures, in television work, and yes, maybe even one day in a commercial." He also argued the merits of making the group's music accessible to youngsters.

149 Comments

  • nf1994

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 12:43 pm PT

    The Beatles were great. yamahaman91 your a douche bag. have you even heard the Beatles?

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  • Phantomfan777

    Posted Jul 16, 2008 11:48 am PT

    I'd love to see the Beatles in Rock Band or Guitar Hero! I cna play alot of their songs on real guitar and they are not so hard so why not have their songs on video games too?

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  • yamahaman91

    Posted Jul 2, 2008 8:26 pm PT

    jeeze i dont know why everyone goes all crazy for the beatles. everyone ive talked to who was alive during the 60's said the beatles were a chick band. every one else was listening to hendrix, clapton and the rolling stones(all of wich deserve to be in a game way! more than the overhyped beatles) but thats just my 2 cents.

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  • N-One

    Posted Jun 28, 2008 6:20 pm PT

    Rock Band sucks (on Wii, they're so lazy). Bring these guys to Guitar Hero, not lazy, they take ALL current gen systems seriously (who cares about PS2). Beatles for Guitar Hero!

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  • dbzfreak

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 8:47 am PT

    As someone else stated this would work better for Rock Band rather than Guitar Hero. The Beatles didn't have too many great guitar solos, they were more about harmony amongst all the instruments and vocals.

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  • gamemaster_650

    Posted Jun 26, 2008 2:13 am PT

    don't care. with GH4 i can just put them in anyways

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  • missonrs

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 8:12 pm PT

    whoa! Beatles? That would be awesome. I haven't heard most of their songs, but I've heard the ARE one of the greatest rock legends of all history. If either or both companies can get this rights Just imgaine what other bands they could get. Any way harmonix, activision just keep fithting you'll get those rights if you work towards it. any thing is possible.

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  • RepublicofJosh

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 10:22 am PT

    Uhhh,,,Liam, the name of the album is Revolver...not Pistol......

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  • antcxxxvi

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 10:21 am PT

    THE END! That's all I gotta say. Trying playing those solos on one guitar...

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  • Gally66

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 4:16 am PT

    while my guitar gently weeps would be awsome, i might buy it even though i already have rockband

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  • Timstuff

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 9:14 pm PT

    Beatles songs in Rock Band would be awesome. The most famous 4-man rock gig ever meets the best 4-man rock video game on the market. I can't say I'd be terribly interested in "Guitar Hero: John Lennon" though. The Beatles were all about musical harmony between vocals, guitar, drums, and bass, so there's no reason to fudge that up by focusing on just guitar.

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  • lamprey263

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 5:36 pm PT

    I think they should devote an entire Guitar Hero or GH'sih like game to just the Beatles. That'd be awesome !!

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  • liam72

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 12:16 pm PT

    Lol, it's funny what people say. "Keep The Beatles out of my video games".
    LOL!! Anyway. I don't consider them to be the most important or the best band ever, I don't think there is one band that can claim to be it, but The Beatles is probably the most famous band of all times and without them, an incredible number of bands would never have existed. Ozzy's main inspiration was beatles' Pistol album.

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  • jsrock_on54

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 11:11 am PT

    beatles = greatest band of all time

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  • RepublicofJosh

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 11:07 am PT

    Cypher787:

    Every consider using punctuation in your comments? it makes them easier to read. That's great that you like Metallica and all and I have no problems with that, but go out and pick up (illegally download) a Beatles album, such as Rubber Soul, or The Beatles (white) or SPLHCB or something in their later ages.

    And if you were to ask the members of Metallica who their greatest influence was on music who do you think they would say? 1,000 bucks says that they say the Beatles were the reason they started making music.

    Everybody here that 'hates' the Beatles. Please first listen to one of the albums that I've recommended and reconsider...and if you still hate them, then you are a complete idiot.

    Rubber Soul
    The Beatles (White Album)
    Abbey Road
    Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    Personally my favorite is Rubber Soul, but you Beatles Haters out there will probably most appreciate The White Album, go get it now.

    And granted some songs may not be right for RB/GH but the Beatles wrote over 280 songs...sooo...I'm sure a couple of them would work

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  • max_power1019

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 10:42 am PT

    While My Guitar Gently Weeps would be my personal favorite to play in GH/RB, but they have many excellent songs to choose from.

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  • BigMace23

    Posted Jun 24, 2008 10:35 am PT

    I wouldn't mind some beatles songs in gh or rb

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  • disco_strangler posted Jun 23, 2008 10:09 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    disco_strangler

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 10:09 pm PT (hide)

    keep the beatles out of my video games.

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  • abeard424

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 9:38 pm PT

    I don;t really care that much because playing beatle songs doesn;t sound that fun except for Daytripper

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  • cypher787

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 8:39 pm PT

    nklslinde you seem so shocked that metallica gets its own game theres a reason metallica one of if not the best metal band of all time dont know too many beatles songs so cant say if they would be good or not for rb but a band like metallica should have its own gh game kirk hammet is one of the most underrated guitarists in the world i like aerosmith but didnt get how they got theyre own game its not like joe perry is known for great solos or anything

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  • nklslinde21

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 8:22 pm PT

    maybe they should release a gigantic orgasmic Beatles video game, Aerosmith gets their own game- why not the beatles? even Metallica gets their own game!

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  • RepublicofJosh

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 7:55 pm PT

    Fantastic...I don't want to buy the new Guitar Hero game...because I have enough fake plastic guitars sitting in my living room...and as a real life singer/songwriter myself...it's embarrassing to have those in my room when I have fellow musicians over...but I love the game for parties and social events and stuff like that, and the fact that I'm good at it...but I have enough plastic toys....however, if The Beatles went to Guitar Hero instead of Rock Band....I might have to reconsider my decision to not buy Guitar Hero

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  • grybo

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 7:27 pm PT

    the beatles in GH World Tour would be like having god come down from the heavens and saying to me "you are my greatest creation". Thats how epic that would be.

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  • Jedilink109

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 5:14 pm PT

    That sounds cool! The Beatles is the biggest selling rock group of all time. If it means we can play some songs in games, or hear them while playing games, then that's cool.

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  • KOSMOSEngineer

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:50 pm PT

    "if itunes hasn't been able to get the rights to The Beatles, what makes Activision think they will be able to get the rights?"

    Because the only reason iTunes can't get it is because of legal disputes between Apple Corps (created by the Beatles) and Apple Inc. (makers of iTunes). The Beatles' Apple (which came first by about 20 years) settled their copyright lawsuit with Apple Inc with the latter agreeing not to enter the music business.
    A decade or two later, and what does Apple Inc. do? Enter the music business. THAT's why iTunes won't get the Beatles' songs and why Activision actually has a much better chance of getting it.

    It'd be great to see the songs in GH/RB, but I hope Beatles' songs aren't relegated to commercials.

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  • ctg867

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:24 pm PT

    With all due respect to The Beatles (in my opinion, their music is timeless), I don' the Beatles in GH/RB would work with the current demographic. I do think they could make for some fun (albeit not that challenging), though I don't know if it would be as appreciated as some newer songs. That being the case, it would be great to have any song song as DLC, though with their unsubstantiated weariness to put things on CD, let along digital distribution, I don't think that would happen.

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  • BatmanBegins24

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:20 pm PT

    If Rock Band gets the Beatles I won't be able to contain myself. Imagine, a four player Beatles session in Rock Band. That would be the greatest thing imaginable.

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  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    I hate copyright

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  • skinny_man_69

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:11 pm PT

    Come on MTV fight hard for this one Rock Band deserves Beatles!

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  • onthe_dl

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:10 pm PT

    "enix165

    WHAT? No, just no. I want real rock, not yellow submarine junk."

    hahaha yellow submarine junk? are you kidding me. beatles are legendary, if you don't like their music that's ok i guess. but to say they are junk.... they paved the way for rock and roll and changed it for good. no one has ever been more influential on rock then the beatles. there's barely any chord structures used in modern rock and roll that hadn't been done by the beatles. that's just pure ignorance.

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  • Apocolypse_Cow

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:05 pm PT

    "I've Got a Feeling" may possibly be the best fit for Rock Band. "One After 909" would work really well, too...Not that "Helter Skelter" should be ignored.

    Oh man, it's got to be Rock Band...

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  • CVM_123 posted Jun 23, 2008 4:03 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    CVM_123

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:03 pm PT (hide)

    this new game will suck with the beatles!

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  • darkfightersoul

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:03 pm PT

    It is really depressing to see that companies are now fighting over band and song exclusivity.

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  • danleeah

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:02 pm PT

    Big deal. Who cares what new songs Guitar Hero gets. It's all the same crap.

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  • Thewbacca

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:00 pm PT

    Please, please, Please let Rock band get it.

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  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:59 pm PT

    To quote Homer Simpson "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

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  • enix165 posted Jun 23, 2008 3:51 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    enix165

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:51 pm PT (hide)

    WHAT? No, just no. I want real rock, not yellow submarine junk.

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  • Proman84

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:49 pm PT

    I am of two minds about this. I think 'The Beatles' deserve something better, something more unique.

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  • ocdog45

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:39 pm PT

    good for those fans

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  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:33 pm PT

    I'm hoping for Rock Band... and given that MTV has infinitely more stroke as a corporation than Activision does, I think I may get my wish.

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  • king23_

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:33 pm PT

    cool

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  • jimmyjazz_518

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:31 pm PT

    man i hope they go rock band... (yeah i totally am an elitist jerk)

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  • ChrisJukio

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:30 pm PT

    Albums like "Rubber Soul" (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Beatles (also known as "The White Album", 1968 ), "Abbey Road" (1969), "Let It Be" (1970), etc...

    In my opinion, and in many other people's opinion, The Beatles are the best band in history, and their lyrics and music itself is something... Just wonderful; there are no words, actually, for me, to describe their ART...

    The Beatles were NOT "just four cute guys with strange hair styles (by that time...)"...

    They ARE something unique to the MUSIC.

    To any kind of ART.

    I LOVE the beautiful art The Beatles did.

    They created just... WONDERFUL.... MUSIC and ART.

    The fact that they were considered the best artists in history in lists like "The 500 Greatest Artists Of All Time" (by the magazine "Rolling Stone") and alikes means nothing compared to the art they created.

    THE BEATLES ROCK!!!! =D

    THE BEATLES RULEeeeEeEEeeeeEEEE!!!! =D

    PEACE and TRUTH and FREEDOM and HAPPINESS and LOVE to all beings

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  • RHCPfan24

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    i hope this means that iTunes can get it, though I already own all of their albums.

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  • mooman214

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:19 pm PT

    if itunes hasn't been able to get the rights to The Beatles, what makes Activision think they will be able to get the rights?

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  • HelIWithoutSin

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:12 pm PT

    slimezombie WHY do you TYPE like THIS? And my nephew is 10 years old and loves Rock Band and loves The Beatles.

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  • Fishn4Zora

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 3:11 pm PT

    Battle for the Beatles!

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  • PhantomPhoot

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 2:46 pm PT

    I'll be happy to finally play Rock Band songs my mom can sing to.

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  • slimezombie posted Jun 23, 2008 2:45 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    slimezombie

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 2:45 pm PT (hide)

    Probably The Beatles weren't as good in terms of lyrics depth, of musical challenge, in the terms and high expectations that we have today. But one thing is for sure, they were the first band to gain POPULARITY.

    Just as your CLASSIC NINTENDO, it wasn't the first, it was not as good as today standards /BITS, etc., but it was the first REAL world wide POPULAR video game console. Even more than ATARI for those of you who think AMERICA is the World, but certainly is where money begins to flow.

    So with that said, probably it would be hard for the game to sell in big numbers since nostalgia people might not be interested in videogames no more, cos we are talkin of people over their 45's that might appreciate The Beatles music.

    Though a good name to go for a change, and could be placed at the end, will be: SGTS PEPPERS LONELY HEART CLUB ROCK BAND.

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