[JURIST] Apple Inc. [corporate website] and Apple Corps Ltd. [corporate website], the record label owned by the Beatles and their families, announced [press release] Monday they have reached a new compromise that replaces their 1991 trademark agreement [text] and resolves the prolonged trademark dispute over Apple Inc.'s use of the name "Apple" and its corresponding logos. The new agreement reportedly ends the ongoing lawsuit [BBC Q/A] between the two entities and provides for Apple Inc. to take ownership of the pertinent "Apple" trademarks, while agreeing to license them back to Apple Corps. Apple Corps. previously sued the computer company in the UK, arguing that the online iTunes music store [product website] violated the terms of the 1991 agreement. In May, the UK High Court ruled [JURIST report] Apple Inc. had not breached the terms of the 1991 agreement. AP has more. CNET News has additional coverage.

In a separate trademark dispute involving the computer company, Cisco [corporate website] filed a lawsuit [JURIST report; press release] last month against Apple, Inc. alleging trademark infringement based on Apple's use of the name "iPhone," to which Cisco has held the trademark since 2000. The two companies failed to reach an agreement before Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled [recorded video; press release] Apple's iPhone [product website] January 11.