New York - Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) MTV Games and Harmonix game studio announced on Thursday that the forthcoming Beatles-themed version of its popular "Rock Band" music video game will ship worldwide on Sept. 9, 2009. The company had been in talks with Apple Corps, the Beatles' record label, and surviving members of the band or their widows, and the game will mark the first time the music of the Beatles has been released in any digital format.

London - Talks on making the Beatles' catalog available from digital retailers like iTunes (NASD: AAPL) have "stalled," Paul McCartney told the Associated Press on Monday. "The last word I got back was it's stalled at the whole moment, the whole process," the former Beatle told AP. "I really hope it will happen because I think it should."

New York - Representatives of the Beatles are in talks with Activision (NASD: ATVI) and Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) MTV Games, makers of the "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" video games, respectively, on deals that would license Beatles songs for inclusion in future iterations of the games, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The deals are reported to be worth "several million dollars," sources told FT, and could be completed within weeks.

New York - Billboard reports that Paul McCartney, who is releasing his latest record to digital and mobile retailers, says that a deal to make the Beatles' lucrative catalog available for purchase from digital retailers is "virtually settled."

London - The Beatles have settled a $59 million dispute over royalties with record label EMI, London's Daily Telegraph reported. Along with the settlement in February of a dispute between the Beatles' label, Apple Corps, and Apple Computer over use of the "Apple" name with regard to music, the announcement could pave the way for songs by the Beatles -- longtime digital holdouts -- to begin selling at iTunes and other digital retailers.

Cupertino, Calif. - Apple Inc. on Monday announced that it has ended a long-running trademark dispute with Apple Corps, the Beatles' record label, over the use of the name "Apple".