DIGITAL MUSIC NEWS – WEEK IN REVIEW
From Digital Music News:
Several developments emerged this week in the mobile music sector. Sprint Nextel inked a
deal with RealNetworks to feature Rhapsody stations on its deck. And Cingular was active, pointing to a download store in 2006 and inking a retail relationship with Musicland.
The P2P sector was especially intense this week. The WinMX website went dark, reflecting a possible reaction by owner Frontcode Technologies to an RIAA cease-and-desist letter. Meanwhile, chatter focused on a possible acquisition of Grokster by Mashboxx.
The RIAA faced a negative ruling over its handling of minors, potentially altering the role that parents will play in future lawsuits. And Hollywood studios banded together to offer a new anti-piracy consortium.
In the portable MP3 sector, Dell threw some new devices into the arena, including a flash-
based competitor to the Apple shuffle.
The volleys between Apple and labels continued, with Steve Jobs criticizing the majors for being "greedy" by seeking a-la-carte price increases. Amazon has reportedly been hot and cold in its bid to begin a digital music store, and eMusic inked a content partnership with
AIM. And Sony BMG artists Switchfoot publicly railed against new CD copy-protections.
