Wed, 04 Nov 2009 2:21p.m.
The songs are selling for 25c each, though their legality has been questioned
By Dan Satherley
The Beatles' catalogue has appeared for sale digitally for the first time, though there are doubts the site offering the mp3s is legit.
Bluebeat.com, a US-based site, is selling the band's music – including the recent, critically-acclaimed remastered albums – at 25c each ($US).
It's this low price that has raised eyebrows, as most sites tend to sell individual tracks at 79c-99c, as well as the fact the Beatles are one of rock's longest digital holdouts, alongside Pink Floyd and AC/DC.
A spokeswoman for Apple Corp, the Beatles' label, said she did not believe the site had permission to sell the Fab Four's music, and Bluebeat.com has yet to respond to queries from tech magazine Wired.
The mp3s are 160kpbs and contain metadata listing '2009 Bluebeat.com' as the copyright holder, which is unlikely.
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