e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

[LGJ]

MusicNet ???? Not me.

RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser gave a first public look Thursday at the MusicNet subscription service his company is building, describing features that resemble Napster's file-swapping service.

MusicNet, a joint venture with major record labels from AOL Time Warner, Bertelsmann and EMI Group, plans to let music fans search for, then download or stream, a broad range of music owned by those three labels, Glaser said. These songs could be downloaded from other MusicNet subscribers, as people would on Napster, as well as from central servers.

But there are key differences between the labels' effort and the popular file-swapping service. Only music that has been authorized by the labels will be available to trade.

Any music downloaded via MusicNet will be "tethered" to personal computers, so it can't be burned to CDs or transferred to portable devices. Consumers will also get an occasional reminder to "relicense" their downloaded music, meaning they will have to keep paying monthly subscriptions to listen to downloaded music.

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My comments: Why in the world would I want this type of service? You can't transfer it to a portable music device or burn it to a CD. The file just stays on your PC. I want to be untethered not locked down.

Geesh, am I just a cranky old fart or behind the times? Plus, you get an annoying reminder to relicense your music...Looks like I'll be looking for an alternative to MusicNet. They'll not get a subscription from me.

Best returns,
~LGJ