Does Michael Jackson still own all the rights to all Beatles music? If not, what is the straight dope on this?
The rights to the Lennon/McCartney catalog are owned by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which is jointly owned by Sony and the Michael Jackson estate. To use one of the actual Beatles recordings, one has to also obtain the permission of Apple Corps and its “shareholders,” Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison, all four of whom must approve any project involving the Beatles or one of their recordings- which is why you rarely hear Beatles recordings in the media and usually hear covers instead.
The exceptions to said ownership are all Lennon/McCartney compositions published before the foundation of Northern Songs in 1963. These include the first two singles plus ‘B’ sides (Love Me Do/PS I Love You & Please Please Me/Ask Me Why). The rights to all such songs are owned by McCartney.
As for Harrison and Starr, their contracts with Northern Songs expired in 1968, at which time they both set up their own companies rather than renew the agreement with NS.