Jobs: End Music Anti-Piracy Software

Apple Inc. Tuesday called on the largest music companies to stop forcing the U.S. iTunes company and others to sell songs online with anti-piracy software.

The technology is ineffective in deterring illegal music-copying, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in an open letter on the Apple Web site.

Embracing such a move could end a big criticism of Apple’s hold on the digital music market, The Wall Street Journal said. Music sold online by most of Apple’s rivals does not play on iPods, and songs from Apple’s iTunes Store do not play on rival digital devices.

Jobs said Apple would support an open online music marketplace if the four-largest music companies drop the use of digital-rights management software used to prevent the copying of music sold online.

Apple agreed to put DRM protection on the music it sells when it made deals to sell music owned by EMI Group, Sony BMG, Vivendi’s Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

Apple runs the world’s top-selling online music and video store, with more than 2 billion songs sold.