News

[PSUs]

Tuesday 11th October 2005

Microsoft wallet neuters Real's antitrust anger 2:39PM, Tuesday 11th October 2005

Real Networks and Microsoft are remaining tight lipped about the possibility that they may have put aside their differences and agreed to work together on future technologies.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the two companies have settled a long-running antitrust dispute in the US to the tune of $750mn. Real will get the money in cash and promotions for its services through Microsoft's online

ADVERTISEMENT

services such as MSN and Hotmail.

There is some speculation that this will involve the promotion of Real's music downloads and subscription service Rhapsody since Microsoft appears to have decided that it is not interested in a music offering of its own, at least for the time being.

Real brought the case against Microsoft in December 2003. It alleged that Microsoft had exploited its virtual monopoly of the operating system market to push its own Windows Media Player software by preventing PC manufacturers from pre-installing RealPlayer.

A similar complaint in Europe came to end when the EU forced Microsoft to offer a version of Windows without Media Player, a decision that Real welcomed.

Microsoft has also settled with Sun Microsystems at a cost of $2bn and with Time Warner for $750mn.

Simon Aughton

Submit to: Digg | Slashdot | Del.icio.us | Technorati