Despite Move to MP3s, DRM Will Haunt Record Labels

While record labels’ retreat from digital rights management software is designed to give consumers the ability to play songs on any device, music fans will likely be trapped in a DRM-filled world for years to come.

“In the big picture, we’re probably 10 years into a 20-year evolutionary process here, from going to the store (and) buying a CD to downloading all music in the MP3 format on your computer,” said Christopher Allen, chief operating officer of Napster.

The music industry is in the fledgling stages of an anti-DRM experiment that until recently seemed unlikely. With Apple’s iTunes Store dominating the booming market for digital music sales, the Big Four record labels — Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and EMI Music — are scrambling for fresh ways to peddle their wares, even as they face creative new competitors.

Full story: wired.com