▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁As ▁the ▁main ▁song writing ▁Beat les , ▁John ▁L enn on ▁and ▁Paul ▁McC art ney ▁drew ▁a ▁larger ▁share ▁of ▁benefits ▁( and ▁roy alt ies ) ▁from ▁their ▁contract , ▁while ▁St arr ▁and ▁George ▁Harrison ▁were ▁sometimes ▁given ▁second - class ▁treatment , ▁and ▁found ▁their ▁songs ▁and ▁interests ▁under - prom oted ▁by ▁the ▁company . ▁ ▁When ▁Northern ▁Songs ▁was ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁public ▁company , ▁St arr ▁and ▁Harrison ▁were ▁each ▁given ▁part - own ership ▁( the ir ▁shares ▁together ▁tot alling ▁about ▁ 1 . 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁vent ure ), ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁writer ' s ▁roy alt ies ▁from ▁their ▁published ▁songs . ▁This ▁wasn ' t ▁in cent ive ▁enough ▁to ▁re - sign ▁with ▁Northern ▁Songs , ▁though , ▁as ▁L enn on ▁and ▁McC art ney ▁( who ▁owned ▁about ▁ 1 5 % ▁each ) ▁did ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁when ▁the ▁band ' s ▁publishing ▁deal ▁exp ired . ▁Instead , ▁Harrison ▁started ▁his ▁own ▁publishing ▁company , ▁Harris ongs , ▁and ▁St arr ▁followed ▁suit , ▁establish ing ▁Start ling ▁Music . ▁Both ▁were ▁thus ▁somewhat ▁ins ulated ▁when ▁Northern ▁Songs ▁fell ▁victim ▁to ▁a ▁buy out ▁from ▁A TV ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁( Wh ile ▁L enn on ▁and ▁McC art ney ▁made ▁the ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁by ▁c ash ing ▁in ▁their ▁shares ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁they ▁no