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The company will be turning off its DRM servers, forcing previous customers to burn their music to CD and rip it back to their computers if they want to retain access to their purchases.

Microsoft has announced that no new DRM keys will be issued after 31 August, when the servers will be switched off.

"The Electronic Frontier Foundation is deeply troubled by your announcement last week that Microsoft will be deactivating the digital rights management servers that allow MSN Music purchasers

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to "reauthorise" music files after upgrading operating systems or buying new computers," says an open letter to Steve Ballmer from Shari Steele, executive director of the EFF.

"As you know, this decision means that every customer that bought an MP3 from you - with the good faith expectation that despite the irritating DRM she would be able to continue to play the song on a variety of devices - faces losing music if she upgrades her PCs or her hard drive crashes after 31 August, 2008," it continues.

As well as an apology, the EFF is demanding that Microsoft offers to either refund the price of downloads, or offer replacements from a store that provides DRM-free tracks. The organisation also wants customers to be given permanent access to receipts proving ownership of files, in case of any legal problems arising from copyright questions.

Microsoft was not available for comment at the time of writing.