Monday, the LA Times reported that Apple plans to offer most books on the iBook store with fan favorite FairPlay copy protection. Yes, that’s the DRM that gets most of your knickers in a twist on the iTunes Store. Not this again. When will the industry learn? It’s an attempt to keep piracy under control, which is in partly understandable. But you’re the one paying for it; you aren’t supposed to be the problem, unless you turn around and give everyone and their brother your music, movies and apps.

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.