Fortune reports that Apple may be close to bringing the Beatles music catalog online exclusively through iTunes.
Other music stores such as MSN and Rhapsody have reportedly courted the Beatles over the years, but with little success. However, David Munns, head of EMI North America, was recently cited as saying that the Beatles would be available online "soon".
The details of the deal are still being worked out, according to the article:
As Fortune went to press, numerous deal points were still being hammered out. According to a music industry executive apprised of the talks, the parties were discussing how lengthy a window of exclusivity iTunes might get and how many tens of millions of dollars Jobs - who is said to be personally involved in the discussions - will commit to an advance for the band and marketing costs.
If a deal is established, this would be interesting conclusion to a history of legal disputes between Apple Computer and Apple Corps (Beatles company). The most recent outcome favored Apple Computer's use of the Apple logo in association with the iTunes store.
