Even though recent research has found that online music piracy is on the rise, there seems to be no stop in the growth of Apple's iTunes store with sales now hitting 3 billion songs since its launch.  To show how successful iTunes is, it is now the 3rd largest US music retailer when compared against online other retail and online stores, with just Amazon.com and Target taking the top two places, going by SiliconRepublic.

Back at the end of May, Apple has become the first to distribute DRM-free high quality music by the major label Emi.  However, it is unclear at this time how successful the DRM-free tracks sell compared with the DRM locked versions.

Unfortunately for Apple, while most artists are happy to get every sale they can, according to E! News, the music publisher which represents the rapper Eminem, has filed a suit against Apple, accusing it of unauthorised sale of Eminem's music through iTunes.  Apparently, Apple got the go-ahead from Universal Music Groups, but Eminem's music publisher did not give the record company permission to make its music online.  Going by the lawsuit, Apple refused requests to take this music offline.