Beatles, iTunes talks on hold

Paul McCartney said Monday that negotiations on a long-awaited deal to make the Beatles’ catalog available on the online music service iTunes have stalled.

“The last word I got back was it’s stalled at the whole moment, the whole process,” the former Beatle said. “I really hope it will happen because I think it should.”

The band’s holding company, Apple Corps Ltd., has so far declined to allow the Fab Four’s music on any Internet music service, including iTunes. Record label EMI, which owns the Beatles recordings but needs Apple Corps’ permission to release the music in new formats, said it was still trying to resolve the matter.