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The New York Times reported that six major movie studios sued RealNetworks, over its new $30 software program that allows people to make digital copies of their DVDs. As the opening warning on every DVD indicates, Hollywood has bitterly opposed such copying. The studios have argued that it threatens their emerging business of digital downloads and can motivate buyers to rent, copy and return DVDs instead of buying them. Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, The Walt Disney Company and Sony Corporation are suing RealNetworks in United States District Court in Los Angeles, seeking an...

For Seattle's biggest-spending liberal benefactor, bankrupt Air America was a costly flyer. Deep-pocketed political donor Rob Glaser undertook his biggest-ever political investment in 2004 when he handed over $10 million to prop up lefty talk-show network Air America Radio, giving him 36.7 percent ownership. But while the founder and CEO of Seattle-based RealNetworks Inc. successfully helped fund the 2006 Democratic revolt in Congress, he has been bloodied attempting a similar revolution in progressive talk radio. The network's challenge to Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talkers for the nation's hearts, minds, and ad revenues has ended up in bankruptcy, and Glaser,...

Microsoft today said it will pay $761 million to RealNetworks, one of Apple's major online music competitors, to settle an antitrust suit regarding Microsoft's use of its dominance to promote its own media software. RealNetworks said Microsoft's decision to bundle Windows Media Player for free within the Windows operating system slowed sales at RealNetworks, according to a report from Reuters. Microsoft will pay RealNetworks $460 million in cash up front to resolve all damage claims, and RealNetworks will get licenses and commitments that give it long-term access to Windows Media technologies to enhance the Real Player software, according to the...

RealNetworks has released a security patch to fix a flaw in its RealPlayer software that could allow compromised code to be run on users computers. The flaw, which was rated "highly critical" by Secunia, is in the most recent versions of the software for both Windows and OS X. Also, Secunia said that some of the older Linux versions were at risk for the flaw. "RealNetworks has received no reports of machines compromised as a result of the now-remedied vulnerabilities," the company said on its website. "RealNetworks takes all security vulnerabilities very seriously."

Carrying over from last year, I predict that Burst.com will beat Microsoft in their current lawsuit. But to avoid having to eat crow again over timing, let me put this in greater context. IF a trial actually takes place, as it is now scheduled to do this summer, Burst will easily win. Microsoft is at a disadvantage already as a bully. Burst will probably get Judge Motz to tell the jury that Microsoft deliberately destroyed evidence, and it doesn't hurt, either, that Burst is just plain right on all counts -- Microsoft DID violate their patents, DID violate Burst's non-disclosure...

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Rob Glaser, the founder and chief executive officer of RealNetworks Inc., has been elected chairman of Air America Radio. The liberal talk show network, heard on 40 stations, also announced it received $13 million in new investments. A spokeswoman said Glaser has been an investor in AAR and is one of the lead investors in this latest round of funding. Air America also said it renewed contracts with Al Franken and Randi Rhodes, two show hosts. Franken, a comedian and author, said, "I have re-signed with Air America in order to spend less time with my family."...

"My family is more important to me than my party," declared  Senator Zell Miller, a Georgia Democrat, as he spoke from the podium of the Republican National Convention on September 1. "There is but one man to whom I am willing to entrust their future and that man's name is George Bush." [1] Many Democrats howled in outrage at Miller's "betrayal" - former President Jimmy Carter in particular. In an angry personal letter to the Georgia senator, Carter accused Miller of "unprecedented disloyalty" and declared, "You have betrayed our trust. [I]t's quite possible that your rabid speech damaged our party..." [2] But...

RealNetworks has stepped up its music "war" on Apple Computer--with results it clearly didn't expect. Hostilities started in late July, when RealNetworks cracked Apple'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. RealNetworks then decided to ratchet up the pressure by slashing the cost of its downloads to below the 99-cent price barrier favored by Apple. The next step--a campaign and petition to get music fans to support the company's open stance--hasn't worked out quite as it might have hoped, after some people...

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 (AAPL.O) said in a statement it is "stunned that RealNetworks (RNWK.O) 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,...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Maria Cantwell broke federal election laws by not promptly disclosing emergency loans made late in her 2000 campaign against Slade Gorton, the Federal Election Commission has ruled. The ruling came as a result of a complaint filed in April 2001 by the National Legal and Policy Center, an independent interest group that tracks campaign financing. It alleged that Cantwell, D-Wash., violated election law by not disclosing the loan and by getting an interest rate below market rates. At issue were two loans totaling $3.8 million extended to Cantwell from a branch of U.S. Bank in Bellevue in...

Real Networks to compete with Apple iTunes 79 cents a song By INQUIRER staff: Wednesday 28 May 2003, 10:55 APPLE'S ONLINE music service iTunes is to face competition from Real Networks, which will today announce a download music service for only 79 cents a track. According to the Wall Street Journal, the service will be based on the Rhapsody service from listen.com, which Real bought last month. The move means Real won't push Musicnet any more, a joint venture between it and major firms EMI, AOL and Bertelsmann. But the Journal points out that Real Networks owns 40 per...

<p>Yahoo Inc., broadening its push into fee-based services, Monday will introduce a video subscription service that offers exclusive entertainment and sports content.</p> <p>Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang gave a brief preview of the service, called Yahoo Platinum, last month. The service offers entertainment, sports, news video and programs, similar to an offering from RealNetworks Inc.'s RealOne subscription service.</p>

RealNetworks Inc. will lay off part of its work force this afternoon, according to sources close to the company. The number to be laid off and their positions aren't known.Martine Charles, RealNetworks' vice president of corporate communications, declined to comment.Some in the industry speculated that the company's recently announced foray into open-source software is behind today's layoffs. But the economy is probably more to blame, analysts said.RealNetworks last month announced Helix, an open-source set of software products it said will allow creating digital media files and programs for any format, operating system or device. In theory, the company's move toward...