TheVerge.com reports that many Japanese record companies have decided to remove DRM from their music downloads. It's an interesting move likely made to encourage Japanese consumers to start using the legal music download services in Japan. The digital download market in Japan is shrinking and record companies need to find ways to get Japanese consumers use their services. Japan also recently passed a revision to their copyright laws that criminalizes illegal downloading of audio and video.
Current DRM restrictions are usually a limit on how many different devices a track can be played from and the amount of CDs that can be burned from the source file. Total removal of DRM on downloads is decided by JVC, Warner Japan and Avex, other record companies like the Japanese subsidiaries of EMI and Universal Music are not totally convinced yet and will only lift DROM on some of their music.
