Real v Apple music war: iPod freedom petition backfires
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Hostilities started in late July, when Real cracked Apple&#39;s FairPlay code, meaning songs bought from the RealPlayer Music Store could be played on the iPod - a move that went down very badly over at Apple. Real then decided to ratchet up the pressure by ...
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A&#160;class-action suit filed against Apple&#160;alleges the company unfairly uses technological restrictions with its iPod line and iTunes Music Store to beat out competitors.The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is the latest one to accuse Apple of unfair business practices. Apple is facing similar legal actions and scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.The suit was filed Dec. 31 by Stacie Somers, a resident of San Diego County, California, who bought a 30GB iPod from Target, a retail store. Others who bought an iPod or content from Apple&#39;s iTunes store after Dec. 31, 2003, may join the suit.The suit calls for Apple to forfeit money it earned from the unfair practices and pay the plaintiffs damages.It alleges that Apple has constricted the market by not enabling iPods to play content in the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, Microsoft&#39;s copy-protection technology. Further, Apple sells songs on the iTunes store with its own copy-protection technology, FairPlay, which is incompatible with music players other than the iPod.The suit contends iPod-owning consumers can only buy music from iTunes, an unlawful tie-in that violates U.S. antitrust laws. Apple could license the WMA format for as little as $0.03 per iPod, or for a total of $800,000 based on Apple&#39;s 2005 iPod sales, the suit reads.The suit may quickly become less relevant as many online music retailers, including Apple, expand their offerings of music free of copy-protection restrictions, also known as DRM (digital rights management).DRM-free tracks offer the advantage of being compatible on a wider range of devices. In May, Apple began selling songs from the label EMI without DRM. Also,&#160;Amazon.com now sells song in MP3 format, and Universal Music Group has tested selling DRM-free music.&#160;
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Europeans, you've picked the wrong target Steve Jobs today called on the music labels to license their music free of Digital Rights Managment (DRM) to Apple and others, to create a "truly interoperable music marketplace".â¦
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NEW YORK - It&#39;s never a smart move to pick a public fight with Apple Computer, and it&#39;s doubly unwise if that fight involves the iPod in some way.
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RealNetworks Inc. urged digital-music lovers yesterday to stand up for their freedom of choice. They responded by exercising their freedom of speech -- much to the company&#39;s chagrin.
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The unpopularity among users of Microsoft's WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) digital rights management tech isn't stopping Apple, which has filed an updated patent application on a DRM scheme with similar aspirations.
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Almost any iPod owner will tell the same  story: they wouldn't swap the iconic device for any  alternative. But the battle is wide open for the hearts -- and  pockets -- of the vast majority who still have no MP3 player.
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Apple Computer has updated the software for some of its iPod digital media players so that songs bought from RealNetworks won&#39;t play.
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The vast majority of consumers are unaware that an Apple iPod digital music player only plays proprietary iTunes files, while a smaller majority agree that it is within RealNetworks&#39; rights to develop a program that will make its music files compatible
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InfoWorld - Just because three major online music retailers bind their music stores to specific portable players doesn&#39;t make it acceptable, a Norwegian consumer group leading the charge against Apple&#39;s DRM (digital rights management) policy says.
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Apple Corp. and Apple Comp. - aka the Beatles and the maker of the Mac - are reported to be on the verge of ending their legal dispute over the latter&#39;s right to operate in the music market.
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Steve Jobs writes, âWith the stunning global success of Appleâs iPod music player and iTunes online music store, some have called for Apple to âopenâ the digital rights management (DRM) system that Apple uses to protect its music against theft, so that music purchased from iTunes can be played on digital devices purchased from other companies, and protected music purchased from other online music stores can play on iPods. Letâs examine the current situation and how we got here, then look at three possible alternatives for the future.â
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We may see the end of protected music downloads, but it won't be Apple's doing, argues Bill Thompson
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SanDisk's new music player is nice, and RealNetworks' companion Rhapsody subscription service offers some cool features. Together, can they make an iPod killer? Commentary by Leander Kahney.
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(Article Central) Apple has quietly updated its iPod software to prevent songs purchased on RealNetworks&#39; online music store from being played on some of its popular MP3 players.
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MacCentral - RealNetworks will tout its new Windows-only Harmony technology, which allows files from its music store to be played on Apple's iPod, in a series of print, radio and online advertising, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. In addition, Real will hold what it calls the biggest music sale in history selling songs for US&#36;0.49 and albums for &#36;4.99.
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In yet another chapter in the sibling rivalry-esque battle between Apple and Real Networks, Apple has announced that the next generation of its iPod music player will actively block Realâs attempts to make the player more open.