Reporter Wendy Grossman wonders why Apple has "changed its tune" and is now willing to sell music at its iTunes Music Store without applying digital rights management (DRM) software, and why record company EMI recently agreed to "release its catalogue in near-CD quality (256kbps AAC format), DRM-free, via iTunes."

In asking "why now?" Grossman cites examples of earlier opportunities to offer DRM-free content. She quotes Professor Lawrence Lessig in this context:

"Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig - one of the founders of Creative Commons, which promotes public access to culture - says that these two options already existed because the iTunes U educational service includes DRM-free content: 'Stanford insisted upon it.'"

...

"More to the point, he couldn't understand why Jobs didn't at least make it possible for Creative Commons-licensed material to go out DRM-free..."