Orange UK is jumping on the anti-DRM bandwagon as the centerpiece of a "major refresh" of its Music Portal (http://web.orange.co.uk/p/musichub/)'s Orange Music Store.

The de-DRM-ing will begin with 700,000 tracks, and will be "enhanced in the coming months," according to a statement (http://newsroom.orange.co.uk/2009/07/10/orange-music-store-launches-unlocked-music-downloads/) on the company's website.

The new pricing plan was secured through deals with Universal, EMI, and a group of indies, and will be "tiered" with prices starting at 79p ($1.28). As for prices of tunes on the other tiers, Orange isn't yet letting on.

In addition to freeing its catalog from digital-rights-management restrictions, Orange "will also be making a further refresh to the Music Portal to continue the enhancements to the user experience."

The statement quotes Orange's director of products, portals, and services, Paul Jevons, as saying: "Orange is committed to providing customers with the widest access to music tracks and content. Upgrading the Music Portal and introducing DRM-free music helps customers enjoy music how and when they want. We look forward to enhancing the DRM-free music catalogue over the coming months."

The move puts Orange on par with Vodafone, which ditched DRM (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/12/vodafone_drm_free/) in March, and Apple's iTunes Store, which announced (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/06/macworld_itunes/) its move away from copy-protected tuneage at January's Macworld Expo. ®