Apple's CEO Steve Jobs has released an open letter calling for the major labels to abandon digital rights management.

Jobs writes:

"Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player."

Engadget's Ryan Block poignantly points out that Apple and Microsoft together have the power to change the digital music rights ecosystem - and the labels know it. All that's needed is a concerted effort to change things, and we - the consumer - will follow.

[Steve Jobs: Thoughts on Music via Engadget]