Apple and the Beatles have settled their long-running trademark dispute, a move that sets the table for Apple's iTunes to finally add the Fab Four's music to its catalog.

Apple and the Beatles' company, Apple Corps, agreed to end their decades-long battle over Apple's use of its cartoon apple logo, which the Beatles claimed infringed on its trademarked logo of a Granny Smith apple. The new deal, for which the terms were undisclosed, replaces a previous settlement agreement the parties agreed to in 1991.

In the latest round of the skirmish, Apple had prevailed in British High Court in May, with a judge ruling that Apple's use of its logo to promote iTunes did not violate the 1991 deal, which stipulated that Apple wasn't allowed to enter the music business.

The new agreement gives Apple ownership of all the trademarks related to "Apple." In addition, Apple will license certain of those trademarks back to Apple Corps for its continued use.

"We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "It feels great to resolve this in a positive manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future."

Neil Aspinall, manager of Apple Corps, agreed.

"The years ahead are going to be very exciting times for us," he said in a statement. "We wish Apple Inc. every success and look forward to many years of peaceful cooperation with them."

But while the deal seemingly ends a battle that dates back to 1978, when George Harrison spotted a magazine ad for Apple and was worried fans would confuse the two entities, Beatles fans continue to wait for the chance to buy the Fab Four's music through iTunes. The Beatles have been the most prominent holdout to allowing for the sale of their music through digital retailers like iTunes, Napster, and Rhapsody.

The rumor mill has been rife in recent weeks that the Beatles and Apple would announce a deal on Valentine's Day, allowing the Beatles to bring their catalog to iTunes and promote their Sir George Martin-produced Love mash-up album in the process.