SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Computer Inc. is unhappy with RealNetworks Inc.’s move this week to make its RealPlayer music service compatible with Apple’s market-leading iPod digital music player and may take legal action to counter it, the company said on Thursday.
Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL – news) said in a statement it is “stunned that RealNetworks (Nasdaq:RNWK – news) has adopted the tactics and ethics of a hacker to break into the iPod,” adding: “We are investigating the (legal) implications.”
Apple said once its iPod software is updated it is “highly likely” that RealNetworks files “will cease to work with current and future iPods.”
Earlier this week, Seattle-based RealNetworks started offering a test version of its latest media player, RealPlayer 10.5, that allows people to transfer songs purchased on the RealPlayer Music Store service to Apple’s iPod.
Real was quick to defend its Harmony digital rights management (DRM) software, which makes the RealPlayer-iPod transfer possible.
“Consumers, and not Apple, should be the ones choosing what music goes on their iPod,” the company said in a statement.
“Harmony follows in a well-established tradition of fully legal, independently developed paths to achieve compatibility.”
Real has said its new software makes the DRM technology that protects its songs compatible with Apple’s own DRM standard, known as FairPlay.
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