EMI did just complete a big personnel shuffle; is being sized up by Warners (again) who probably feel the label is weak and ripe for takeover; and the Beatles thing has been hanging out there for a while since Apple vs Apple came to terms.
Steve's plea to go it against DRM also aligns with some of the noise coming out of EMI reps a month or two ago saying same. Perhaps this will be their brave way of carrying on, rather than being absorbed by one of the other big labels. In some ways they have the most to earn from going all in online, with perhaps the largest back catalog of any label.