Has anyone here ever heard of a music website called BlueBeat.com? Me neither. Well, they’ve recently made the news in a big way.
The online music store, owned by the audaciously-named Media Rights Technologies, has been selling downloads of Beatles albums and songs. Problem is, EMI is the only company licensed to distribute Beatles recordings. Despite the benefits of selling individual mp3s, the Beatles are absent on iTunes and other online music merchants. EMI has something else in mind. On December 7, EMI and Apple Records will release a “limited edition stereo USB” containing the Beatles entire catalogue in digital format.
Still, some fans just want individual Beatles songs, especially now that they’ve all been remastered.
Late last week, BlueBeat began selling Beatles song downloads for 25 cents a pop. It’s a great deal, but EMI isn’t jumping for joy. They’re suing.
BlueBeat is a division of Media Rights Technologies, a diversified Northern California digital media distribution firm. Execs at Media Rights Technologies did not respond to phone and email requests for comment.
Observers immediately viewed BlueBeat’s sale of Beatles tracks with suspicion, since even iTunes musicstore, digital music’s industry leader, has never had access to the Beatles’ music. The online sale of the band’s material has been the subject of protracted wrangling between EMI and Apple Corps (not to be confused with Apple Computer, parent company of iTunes).
Each album is offered as an unlimited free stream. Prices on full albums range from $3.50 for the Beatles’ debut “Please Please Me” to $7.50 for “The Beatles” (the so-called “White Album”).
In a twist ripe with irony, representatives of Media Rights Technologies recently wrote to the Librarian of Congress asking that the webcasting licenses of such firms as iTunes, Pandora and MSN Music be revoked on piracy grounds.
In a company press release issued in 2007, Media Rights co-founder and CEO Hank Risan accused Apple of failing to obtain the necessary licenses to distribute copyrighted material on the Internet, which prompted the company to remove all links to iTunes from BlueBeat.com.
Ha! Countersue!
Most of us don’t know who specifically makes money off the Beatles’ music. Obviously, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and their respective families get their proper share, but most of us could give a damn about the executives from EMI. Still, the company has the distribution rights. I don’t know what loophole Hank Risan and his Media Rights Technologies found, but I doubt it’s legitimate.
How do we solve this dilemma?
Why not make the Beatles catalogue public property? When Paul and Ringo start to experience ill health, I hope they sign over the Beatles music to all their fans. The idea may sound ridiculous now, but give it some time.
