Apple have announced that the EMI Music catalogue of digital music will be available for purchase DRM-free from the iTunes Store.
This is a huge step for digital music sales: users will no longer be tied to the obligatory iPod hardware if DRM dies out. Sure, DRM-free music has been legally available online for years via sites such as emusic.com, but this move by Apple (the largest online retailer of digital music vita the iTunes Store) may finally lead to a real backlash against DRM technology.
Opinions on this have been mixed – checkout:
Jupiter Research: DRM Free Music from Apple and EMI Isn’t Likely to Help Other Players
EMI to Apple, Microsoft: Ditching DRM is going to cost you
EMI Removes DRM From Digital Downloads
EMI go DRM-free, but at a price
