Walmart went DRM-free on its downloads over a year ago, realizing the future was in MP3s. But prior to that it sold its downloads in the WMA format with DRM protection.
Now Walmart is preparing to shut down its DRM servers on October 9 and is warning customers to back up the songs they own or they might well be lost.
When Microsoft did the same thing with its MSN Music Service, the protest was so loud that it extended the service for three more years, according to Vnunet, while Yahoo ended up reimbursing customers.
In a blog post, Walmart lead music buyer Tom Welch wrote:
"DRM-protected music has been a sensitive issue and we recognize how confusing it can be to customers. We sincerely apologize for any confusion or frustration our initial email has caused you, and we hope this post and the below points clarify some confusion and alleviate some frustration."
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has asked Walmart to issue an apology to customers, to begin a program to make sure customers have proofs of purchase for their DRM downloads, and to offer refunds.
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