Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/10/orange_drops_drm/
Orange UK drops DRM
Music wants to be free 79p
Posted in Music and Media, 10th July 2009 23:19 GMT
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Orange UK is jumping on the anti-DRM bandwagon as the centerpiece of a "major refresh" of its Music Portal [1]'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 [2] 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 [3] in March, and Apple's iTunes Store, which announced [4] its move away from copy-protected tuneage at January's Macworld Expo. ®