UMG to test selling music tracks without DRM

Wired News is reporting that Universal Music Group, in partnership with already-established online music retailers such as Apple's iTunes, will try out selling tracks from their catalogue without any restrictions. Until recently, many of the tracks on iTunes and other similar services would come with Digital Rights Management installed by default, meaning that users would have a hard time finding ways to copy tracks onto portable players and in some cases would find it impossible or very difficult to even listen to the tracks at all.

Removing these restrictions is the first step towards a more open and fair marketplace, and places the consumer at the centre of the mp3 and online music distribution industry, rather than the corporations.