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Apple Not Too Harmonious with Real

An anonymous reader writes "As if in answer to the question previously asked on Slashdot, CNN Money is reporting that Apple isn't all that happy that Real pried open the door to the iPod for its RealMedia files. "We are stunned that RealNetworks has adopted the tactics and ethics of a hacker to break into the iPod." It should be interesting to see how this pans out in court, and if the DeCSS case serves as some sort of precedent."

20 of 940 comments (clear)

  1. How will this pan out on Slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    With the constant Apple lovefests, the hatred of the DMCA and DRM, the dislike of Real Player, and the love of hacking.

    1. Re:How will this pan out on Slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      How will this pan out on Slashdot?

      As a flaming, troll-infested mess! This is going to be like watching Jerry Springer, Slashdot style. Maybe I should get some popcorn...

    2. Re:How will this pan out on Slashdot? by jmorris42 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Easy, do the new PC math.

      Real == evil
      DRM == evil
      DMCA == EVIL incarnate. Except for W, Dick Cheney and John Ashcroft the most evil thing currently on planet Earth. (oh yea, forgot the PATRIOT Act)
      Apple == all things good, hearts, sad eyed puppies, flowers, improbably endowed anime chicks, etc.

      Apple (good ++++++) invoking the DMCA (doubleplus ungood) to protect their DRM (ungood) scheme against Real (ungood) equals a slightly tarnished Apple but still (good ++++) so Apple wins. All who speak ill of Apple will be modded troll/flamebait. All who speak good of Real will be modded down. Generic rants against DRM and the DMCA will be tolerated.

      --
      Democrat delenda est
    3. Re:How will this pan out on Slashdot? by Exatron · · Score: 3, Funny

      You're not thinking big enough. I plan to sell tickets and pay-per-view access.

      --
      "I think so, Brain, but 'instant karma' always gets so lumpy." - Pinky
      "Decepticons FOREVER!!!" - Ravage
  2. So apple is evil now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought they were the good guys?

  3. Oh boy! by jandrese · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now I can spend $300 on a music player AND get to use Real's spyware laden buggy hard-to-use interface! How can I loose?

    --

    I read the internet for the articles.
  4. Financial Buffering by mfh · · Score: 3, Funny

    > Not cool.
    Not cool by any stretch of the imagination.

    "We are stunned that RealNetworks has adopted the tactics and ethics of a hacker to break into the iPod."

    I was stunned too! 0%... 5%... BUFFERING 6%... etc.

    Apple is going to get some financial buffering from RealNetworks, after this is done.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
  5. Important Guide to Understanding Article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT:
    A SLASHDOT FLOWCHART EXCLUSIVE
    Start:
    Did a corporation use Was the encryption--Y-->Did someone reverse
    encryption to prevent-Y->in question engineer the system,
    their customers from pathetically weak? allowing for more
    fairly using purchases? | /--consumer choice?
    N-------N---<------<----N----<--+----<--- <-<No.. . |
    | \ Y
    N<------N----<---Did the corporation Did this new<--+
    | react violently, <--Y-software enable
    | Was the<--Y--slander hackers, fair use?
    | corporation and fire off legal
    | Apple(tm)(R)? threats using DMCA to suppress speech?
    | | |
    | Yes +No-->Oh my God those assholes! It's time we put this source
    |_ | code on a T-shirt! Time to contribute to the author's
    \ / legal defense fund! Time to call our senator and tell
    No big deal! him to repeal the evil, flawed DMCA! Time
    Time to play "Quake!!!" to practice "civil disobedience!". Time
    to write "distributed peer to peer"
    corporate-subversion software! Time to call for a radical reform
    of copyright laws! Time to decry Palladium(tm)(R) design and
    distribution as a grand scheme to put us under the lock and key
    of DRM! Time to raid DVD-Jon's jail cell with Dimitri as lead
    commando! Time to hack Hillary Rosen's web site and deface statues
    of Jack Valenti! Quick buy another 2600 T-Shirt!
    By the way, wouldn't it be great if Devo was 99c a song?
    God I still remember the HACKER MANIFESTO!!!!

  6. Real Quote of the Week! by pegr · · Score: 4, Funny

    RealNetworks Chief Strategy Officer Richard Wolpert: "We think consumer choice is going to win out over proprietary formats."

    And this is coming from Real! Gotta love it! ;)

    1. Re:Real Quote of the Week! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      You misquoted him. The actual quote was: "We think consumer choice is going to... (buffering)..."

    2. Re:Real Quote of the Week! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Where's Mod points when you need them....THAT'S FUNNY!!!

  7. The horror! THE HORROR! by Dr.Dubious+DDQ · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is unspeakably wrong! A company spends MILLIONS, perhaps even BILLIONS to come up with their own proprietary mechanism for exchanging files between their OWN services, and some damned upstart comes along, reverse-engineers it, and has the AUDACITY to make their OWN service interoperate with it...WITHOUT PERMISSION?!?!?

    All of that money that the company spent, down the drain, because some "hackers" figured out how their carefully crafted system works! This is wrong and unfair!

    Our course is clear! We must NOT support the evildoers who have committed this foul act of hacking! BOYCOTT! BOYCOTT!

    We must NEVER use SAMBA AGAIN!!!!!

    Wait...who were we talking about again?....

  8. Re:Enough already by VEGx · · Score: 2, Funny

    I do agree to some degree. But... First of all, I'd personally keep Real away is innovative enough for me. Seriously, who wants an iPod that would be spending half a day buffering. In the end people would say that iPod sucks [but it's Real that sucks really].

  9. Re:The Envelope, Please by CrackedButter · · Score: 2, Funny

    A slashdotter *not* buying an iPod is an oxymoron. :)

  10. Re:Sounds Like... by HarveyBirdman · · Score: 2, Funny
    Imagine, if you will, that your Chevy only ran on Chevy Gas.

    AUGH! Car/computer analogy! Kill it! Get the pipe-carrying homeboy! Get it! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

    --
    --- Ban humanity.
  11. Re:Enough already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hey, you got something on your chin, a huge dallop of Apple Semen.

    Get off your knees you retarded fanboy.

  12. Re:A few thoughts by Thing+1 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Before you know it painters will own your house and you will license to live in it.

    The government owns your home; you are merely licensing it from them.

    Don't believe me? Stop paying your property taxes.

    Reminds me of a Confucious saying: "To get back on feet, miss two car payments."

    --
    I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
  13. Re:Enough already by PriceIke · · Score: 2, Funny

    This post isn't informative (I have given up trying to apply logic to moderators' actions) but I certainly agree with it.

    There should be mod points for +5 Fuckin' A.

    --
    It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
  14. Re:Hypocrites, all! by dwightk · · Score: 2, Funny

    "If you replace "Apple" or "Jobs" with "Microsoft" or "Gates", would you feel the same? "

    Pretty much... you would have to replace "Real" to make me feel differently

    --
    Like anyone can even know that
  15. Re:Not cool? No, your complaint is not cool by insomnyuk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, and while we're at it, I would like a PDA that lights my cigarettes and wipes my ass for me.

    I want it to be able to light normal filtered class A cigarettes, but also include support for 100s and unfiltered.

    I want it to support 1-ply AND 2-ply toilet paper and be forward-compatible for new multiple-ply standards in the future.

    I would also like it to be child and babysafe, so that if a toddler is within a certain proximity of the machine it will not light cigarettes and will only use baby wipes.

    Furthermore, it must be fully compatible with my OS/2 Warp box.

    And I would like a pony, but that last one is optional.

    Anyone that does not acquiesce to these demands is being closed and proprietary. For shame!

    Apple's possible legal action aside, the iPod is an example of product implementation where their goal was to do one thing and do it well: let people play tons of music on a well-designed, portable device. Google did the same thing with search by keeping it relatively simple.

    If I had a nickel for everytime I heard someone on /. bitch about the iPod not having x encoding format or x obscure-as-shit Operating System Compatibility, I would probably have about $40 U.S. Sir, the dead horse you are beating is little more than so much decomposed mush now. Let it go. Please.