Glaser turns wrath on Apple, Jobs

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Date: December 6, 2005 10:11:36 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipient:;
Subject: Glaser turns wrath on Apple, Jobs


Glaser turns wrath on Apple, Jobs

By Greg Sandoval
Story last modified Mon Dec 05 18:10:00 PST 2005

SAN FRANCISCO--Rob Glaser has made his peace with Microsoft's Bill
Gates. Now, the RealNetworks chief executive is turning up the
rhetoric against another technology icon: Apple Computer CEO Steve
Jobs.

At the Digital Living Conference here on Monday, Glaser told a packed
hotel ballroom that Jobs & Co.'s refusal to make the iPod compatible
with music services other than Apple's iTunes was "pigheadedness."
Glaser also said that Apple's unwillingness to cooperate with other
online music vendors promotes piracy of copyrighted materials and
will eventually draw the wrath of consumers.

These are heady times for Glaser and his Internet multimedia company,
which announced in October that it had reached a favorable settlement
with Microsoft on the $1 billion lawsuit RealNetworks filed in 2003.

Under the deal, Microsoft agreed to pay $460 million in cash to
settle the antitrust claims and will also pay $301 million to support
RealNetworks' music and game efforts. In addition Microsoft will
promote RealNetworks' Rhapsody subscription music service on its MSN
Web business.

Perhaps Jobs unknowingly helped RealNetworks and Microsoft find
common ground. In 2004, Glaser appealed to Jobs to make the popular
iPod compatible with other music services. Microsoft has long sought
to strike partnerships in the digital-music arena to help it
challenge Apple's enormous lead in the sector.

Jobs responded by telling his shareholders that a deal with
RealNetworks simply was "not worth it." Glaser didn't let that stop
him. In July 2004, RealNetworks released a version of its music
download service compatible with Apple's iPod--without the permission
of Jobs & Co. Apple has called it "hacker tactics" but hasn't filed a
lawsuit.

Following Glaser's presentation he was asked whether Apple's
unwillingness to allow others access to the iPod, the hot-selling
digital music player, was hurting RealNetworks.

...

http://news.com.com/2100-1027-5983354.html



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