In response to yesterday’s ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the Napster case, RealNetworks, the folks behind such Internet media products such as Real Player, issued a statement that basically agreed with the court’s decision.
“Today’s court decision is an important step in establishing clear rules of the road for digital music distribution — rules that will help make Internet bootlegging a thing of the past,” Chairman and CEO Rob Glaser said in a prepared statement. “As such, we think the ruling is a very positive development. Now it’s time for the industry to move forward to build great businesses that respect the legitimate interests of consumers, artists and rights holders.”
With over 150,000 paying subscribers for RealPlayer GoldPass in just five months, RealNetworks has proven that there’s wide and growing demand for paid subscription services on the Internet, he added. That’s why Real Networks thinks that there will be strong demand for music subscription services, Glaser said.
“Just as the film industry grew to embrace the VCR as a new means for distribution and a new source of revenue, the record industry is now faced with a unique opportunity to grow their businesses while giving consumers new avenues for accessing great content,” he added. “RealNetworks will work hard to ensure that the rights of artists and consumers are balanced to create a thriving and enduring market for online music.”