According to the Wall Street Journal (and Macworld.co.uk), EMI will announce today that they will offer much of their music via Apple’s ITunes store DRM free. Less than two months after Steve Jobs “Thoughts on Music” it looks like changes are actually beginning to occur. I was fairly skeptical about anything coming of Steve Jobs’ manifesto but apparently I was wrong. This will truly be a massive experiment for the record label given that there could be an increase in piracy activity as a result.

The Wall Street Journal also emphasizes the potential benefit gained by Apple from a move toward the removal of DRM:

EMI’s decision, if it’s followed by other major recording companies, could also lessen growing political pressure on Apple by consumer rights organizations in several European countries, including Norway, that want to see Apple make its digital music products, iTunes and the iPod, work with songs and hardware from other companies.

I personally support the movement though and hope that this is only the first in a series of steps toward a DRM-free world.