Audiobooks can be an expensive habit, so I was happy to hear our county library system had added a new digital checkout system with software that a.) was Mac and PC compatible, b.) could easily add many of the new books to the iPod, and c.) contained an iPod app allowing you to download on the go. Fantastic! Finally, we’re moving into a platform-neutral world! Er, not quite. Because while Overdrive Media Console is available for both Mac and PC software, a great deal of the content is available only as DRM protected WMA files.

Rumors continue to swirl that the iTunes Store may be going DRM-free starting today, Tuesday December 9. According to the sources on ElectronLibre, the collections of three major record labels will be available unencumbered by Apple’s Fairplay DRM: Universal Music, SonyBMG Music and Waner Music. This list encompasses three of the four major record lables; EMI, the fourth major music label, already offers higher-quality iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks on the iTunes store.

Steve Jobs has repeatedly said that he would like to abolish DRM restrictions in favor of a more open music store along the lines of the Amazon MP3 music store. Interestingly enough, the timing of this move looks to piggyback the Christmas shopping season…

Bjorn Erik Thon, consumer Ombudsman for Norway, has announced that he is taking Apple before that country’s Market Council in an attempt to force Apple to remove the FairPlay DRM from its music. This move would allow music purchased from iTunes to be played on any digital music player.

While Apple does offer some tracks for sale (in America, at least), without DRM software, the company has stated that its contracts with the major music labels require them to protect the music from illegal copying.

Are you someone who travels a lot? Well, crossing the border and making a purchase in the U.S. version of the iTunes Music Store is now a breach of the Terms of Service.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (motto: “Not the Other Kind”) draws our attention to a new section in the American version of the ITMS TOS.

Check it out after the break.

What’s that sound I hear? Oh, that’s just Apple gasping in utter shock over in Cupertino. Why? Hot from the press: Napster’s download store is more than 50% larger than any other MP3 store and boasts not only the largest major label MP3 catalog in the industry, but also the largest library of independent music more »

HDCP is a new form of copy protection introduced with the HDMI platform, it stands for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. According to Jeff Carlson from TidBITS, movie rentals on the Apple TV require HDCP. This means if the TV/monitor you’re using your Apple TV with isn’t HDCP-compliant, you won’t be able to play rented movies. more »

Amazon MP3, Amazon’s DRM-free direct download music service and iTunes Music Store rival, will be going worldwide this year, according to Bill Carr, Amazon’s VP of digital music. Amazon MP3, started in September 2007, is the largest DRM-free music seller online. It currently has all major record labels signed on and includes 3.3 million songs more »

Just like those awesome guys at EMI did, Warner Music has decided to drop DRM from it’s music. iTunes Plus? You wish. Warner has decided to push their music through Amazon’s new music service, Amazon MP3. Although many see this as a bad decision, I personally cannot see the bad decision. From the user’s point more »

The New Scientist is reporting that Apple has issued a patent to, in its basic form, issue separate unlocking keys so that a device, such as a MacBook, is tied to a certain charger. If you lose the charger, the charger is stolen, or the device is stolen, another charger cable will not work with more »

That’s right, according for first quarter 2007 reports, the Apple iTunes store has boosted it’s sales to become the 3rd largest music retailer in the US. Apple is now sitting ahead of Amazon at 9.8% of all music purchases, close behind Best Buy and Walmart. The findings also show that an astonishing 86.2% of all more »