Apple, Beatles end logo battle

A record with an Apple Corps logo is seen placed on the top of an Apple computer in London. IPod maker Apple and the guardian of The Beatles' music resolved their long-simmering dispute on Monday, about who has the right to the Apple trademark. AP

It has been a long and winding road paved with 30 years of disharmony. But the surviving members of the Beatles have put aside their differences with the American computer company Apple through a deal that could lead to their classic tracks dominating the top 10 slots in the music charts once more.

The Beatles' publishing company, Apple Corps, revealed that it had settled litigation with the iPod's maker, Apple Inc, on Monday over the right to use a picture of a ripe granny smith as a marketing device to sell music.

The issue has been such a bone of contention that the Beatles have, to date, refused to allow their music to be downloaded online and have boycotted Apple's iTunes library which accounts for four out of five purchases of music online.