How Dare You Make Our Service More Valuable! RealNetworks Shuts Down YottaMusic

from the not-allowed-to-make-things-more-valuable dept

Thu, Jan 3rd 2008 11:58am — Mike Masnick

It's sometimes amazing how shortsighted companies can be -- especially when they discover that others are making their own services better and more valuable. We've written about various threats and lawsuits against people who have made better interfaces for websites such as the Ellis Island listings and Odeon Cinemas' site in the UK. Now, as noted by Fred Wilson, it looks like the folks at RealNetworks have forced YottaMusic out of business for making Real's Rhapsody service a lot more userfriendly. TechCrunch suggests that there's some political reasons for the shutdown having to do with what APIs YottaMusic was using, but that's hardly an excuse for shutting down a popular site that only makes Rhapsody's service more valuable by creating an interface that many people prefer to Rhapsody's own interface. Users of YottaMusic still need to be Rhapsody subscribers, so it could only help to increase Real's subscriber numbers -- so it's hard to understand what the business rationale could be for shutting the site down.

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Filed Under: apis, music, value added services
Companies: realnetworks, yottamusic

10 Comments

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Just Me, 3 Jan 2008 @ 12:19pm

Huh?
I'm not familiar with these sites but let me see if I've got this straight;
Rhapsody sells music for download. YottaMusic comes along and makes some kind of skin or client to allow Rhapsody users to get their music - without having any negative impact on Rhapsody - and they get shut down?

Is that really the case?
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BCS Bill, 3 Jan 2008 @ 12:26pm

there could be one reason
paranoia. if rhapsody provides infra-structure for another company to grow and become a real 'share of business' owner.... yotta could then decide to cut out rhapsody and put out their own service with new contracts, then rhapsody in essence financed a new competitor. just my guess.
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- Adrian, 3 Jan 2008 @ 12:58pm
  
  Re: there could be one reason
  Or they could have just BOUGHT YottaMusic for a reasonable price and made their superior interface their own. Thus providing a net gain for both parties. Stupid short-sighted management.
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  - Coach George, 3 Jan 2008 @ 4:21pm
    
    Re: Re: there could be one reason
    Now that YottaMusic can't use it's interface, they are essentially out of business. This opens Real to buy them even cheaper.
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dumb, 3 Jan 2008 @ 12:57pm

Becasue people are
That is why things that normal people cannot comprehend go on... Because the majority of the world is populated with dumb asses it should be no surprise when a dumb ass decision is made.
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Capt. Brad, 3 Jan 2008 @ 1:20pm

Actually, the Music Industry has more that its fair share of dumbasses!
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kiki jones, 3 Jan 2008 @ 4:45pm

amazing!
After they spend about 10 years hijacking the browser and player settings on every PC on the planet... they want someone to stay outta there stuff? Even when it makes them money? What morons, they should have hired 'em, not shut 'em.
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Know real Business, 3 Jan 2008 @ 6:41pm

Maybe because users of YottaMusic called and demanded support from Real Networks because users are often stupid about the idea of using customer stuff means little or no support.

Could be a stupid move as stated, could be stupid users made letting it continue a cost drain to Rhapsody. Who knows..
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Pepsi Man, 3 Jan 2008 @ 6:53pm

Only a dumbass uses real player
Only a dumbass uses real player to begin with so no-one is really getting hurt here.
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joe Schmoe, 4 Jan 2008 @ 7:21pm

obviously
obviously the reason for shutting it down is old fashioned: embarassment at having such a crappy interface themselves, coupled with the fantasy that if they make better ones go away, no one will notice this...
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