Apple Corps Trying to Stop Release of Unheard Beatles Tracks

Posted by Eriq Gardner

Music by the Beatles may have finally come to iTunes and "American Idol," but don't expect to hear Ringo Starr's first performances with the band anytime soon.  Apple Corps Ltd., the London company formed by the Beatles that helps guard their legacy, is suing Fuego Entertainment, hoping to impede the distribution of unreleased recordings from the group's Hamburg, Germany Star Club days.

The complaint, filed in Miami federal court, accuses Fuego of a "deliberate and unconscionable effort to trade on The Beatles' fame and creative endeavors." It also says co-defendant Jeffrey Collins previously tried to release the same recordings in 1995 but backed off after the Beatles declined permission.

Eight unreleased tracks are said to be among the recordings. "This appears to us to be a garden-variety bootleg recording," said Paul LiCalsi, an attorney for Apple Corps.