Despite research from the EMR Digital Music Survey finding that illegal music downloading is on the rise, it seems that Apple can do no wrong.
The Cupertino-based company revealed today that music downloads from its online iTunes music store has reached the three billion mark.
In fact, numbers from market research firm NPD Group suggest that iTunes is now the third largest music retailer in the US, online or offline, having overtaken both Amazon.com and retail chain Target.
From a catalogue of more than five million songs, Apple began offering DRM-free (digital rights management) music on 31 May, meaning customers can now keep as many copies of their downloaded songs as they want instead of the previous five copies.
iTunes’ success, however, is not music to everyone’s ears. Popular rap artist Eminem has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Apple, claiming that in selling his music through iTunes Apple is violating copyright.
Previously the rapper successfully sued Apple for use of his song in an iTunes ad that never made it to air.
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