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EMI Group Plc said on 2 April that its music catalog would be available through Apple Inc’s iTunes store without the anti-piracy measure known as digital rights management (DRM).

“The new higher quality DRM-free music will complement EMI’s existing range of standard DRM-protected downloads already available,” EMI said in a press conference in central London with Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs.

The move by EMI, which ranks last among the four major music companies in sales of new music in the US, represents a significant change of course at a time when the industry is straining to bolster digital sales as the business of selling the two-decade-old compact disc format continues to erode.Â

In tune to the other companies, EMI had long insisted on the sale of its music online with electronic locks to reduce piracy. The shift means that consumers who buy music from EMI acts may have an easier time navigating the current jumble of incompatible software in the digital music world.Â

Consumers who buy the unprotected music from the iTunes store will be able to play the music on a variety of devices (not just iPods) and will be in a position to burn unlimited playlists of songs.Â

The unprotected music will come at a higher price, $1.29 a song, though Apple said the songs will have better sound quality. Standard-quality versions of the same songs, with copy protection, will still be available for 99 cents. But to entice more consumers to buy full albums, Apple will sell albums from EMI artists — without the anti-piracy software and in the higher quality — for the regular price, which is generally $9.99.