Why You Can Trust CNET Amazon to offer DRM-free music downloads
Later this year, music without technological copying restrictions will be available on Amazon's download store.
Amazon.com plans to launch a digital music store later this year, featuring music downloads without copyright restrictions.
The e-commerce giant announced Wednesday that it would offer songs from more than 12,000 record labels in the MP3 format, without the controversial digital rights management (DRM) software. Record labels are beginning to warming up to the concept of offering music downloads without DRM, after waging war with peer-to-peer companies over distributing their copyrighted music and over piracy issues.
"Our MP3-only strategy means all the music that customers buy on Amazon is always DRM-free and plays on any device," Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, said in a statement.