Reality for Real

Wow, I’ve blogged in the past about how Real Networks’ devotion to subscription music distribution was an archaic business model. Now, Rob Glaser and company are about to launch a new software product that, if ruled lawful under the DMCA, may revolutionize movie distribution. Real Networks Throws Down the DVD Copy Gauntlet [FT.com]. In a post-Napster legal environment, however, it is fair to say that no one can predict with certainty how these sorts of issues will play out. But if Cablevision can offer a remote-storage DVR on the theory that users are copying, not the device’s software, there is a good chance Real is right. Good luck and Apple TV watch out now!