Sony Ericsson is to use the Walkman brand for a forthcoming series of mobile phones featuring digital music players.

The company said that the first Walkman Sony Ericsson music phones will be announced in March and will allow users to transfer existing CD collections to their phones via a PC.

Future products will be capable of playing copy-protected music files purchased and downloaded via a PC from the internet or direct to the phone.

Sony Ericsson claimed that its Walkman-branded phones will support the most popular digital music file formats and services.

The devices will work with Sony's Connect music download service, which will open online digital music purchasing to mobile phone users in various countries around the world. The service currently offers over 800,000 music tracks from major labels and independent artists.

Miles Flint, president of Sony Ericsson, said: "The Walkman showed us that people of every generation love listening to music while on the move, and we believe that the mobile phone is the perfect device to extend the world of digital mobile music to a much wider audience."

Since its creation, Sony has sold more than 340 million Walkman branded music devices. "Sony Ericsson is proud to write a new chapter in the Walkman story," said Flint.