Apple and EMI in copy protection deal

By Yinka Adegoke

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple and EMI will reveal a ground-breaking deal on Monday for Apple to sell the music label's songs free from copy protection limits, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The report said music giant EMI plans to sell "significant amounts" of its catalogue without anti-piracy software, citing people familiar with the matter, and that the music label is considering not only Apple's iTunes stores but other outlets.

However, a separate source familiar with the situation told Reuters a Beatles deal was not the focus of Monday's event. "There is no Beatles' announcement," the source said.

EMI has acted as the distributor for the Beatles since the early 1960s, but the Fab Four's music holding company Apple Corps has been a high-profile hold-out from Internet music services like Apple's iTunes.

Spokesmen for Apple and EMI declined to comment on the newspaper report.

EMI said earlier on Sunday that the company will hold a news conference on Monday at its London headquarters, where EMI Chief Executive Eric Nicoli will be joined by Apple Chief Executive and co-founder Steve Jobs.

A live Webcast of the event, which will feature "a special live performance", will be available at www.emigroup.com beginning at 1 p.m. local time in London.

Earlier this year, Jobs called on the world's four major record companies, including EMI, to start selling songs online without copy-protection software, known as DRM, for digital rights management. DRM software is designed to thwart piracy but also makes using music cumbersome for many consumers.