Fortune: Apple to Sell Beatles "MP3s"

The Beatles, who have had more written about not selling their music online than any other band has for selling its music online, are edging closer to an agreement with Apple to sell music through its iTunes store, according to Fortune.

This is far from the first rumor I've seen about Beatles' recordings finally being sold online. However, Fortune is probably the first to imply that when iTunes finally starts selling Beatles songs, they will be sold in the open, unrestricted MP3 format, rather than the DRM-ed AAC files Apple uses for all other music in its store:

"Fans wishing to download the actual Fab Four in MP3 format have tosearch peer-to-peer sites like Limewire for unlicensed songs they canlisten to free. But that may be about to change. While detailsremain to be worked out, Fortune has learned that iTunes is close to adeal to bring the Beatles catalog online."

I'm fairly sure "MP3" is being used here as confusing shorthand for"digital music file." Although iTunes' sale of Beatles music in theMP3 format would be applauded by many Beatles fans, the surviving bandmembers and their estates, which have been so concerned about onlinemusic that they've waited until nearly 2007 without even dabbling, would surelyinsist on some use of DRM on the files (in which case people will stillbe looking for the un-DRMed versions on Limewire).