iTunes to Sell Music Without Copy Protection

Apple will remove DRM anti-piracy software from the music it sells on the iTunes store, the New York Times reports. As part of a new deal reached between Apple, Sony BMG, the Universal Music Group and the Warner Music Group, songs will be DRM-free and will be priced differently. New hits will be sold for $1.29 a song, while the majority of songs will cost 69 cents.

Apple had previously only been allowed to sell music released by EMI without DRM, which limits use of the songs by consumers. Apple’s competitors in online music sales, Amazon.com and Rhapsody, already sell DRM-free music.
(More iTunes stories.)