ahum ... cough ... cough ... wheez ... pass me my cane son!

Just a small comment, though most people know real from the realplayer and helixserver, Real is primarily a content-broker. Their players support their business to buy and sell content to the likes of BT and DT. To me it therefore seems that want to move (part) the SW business (the development of which is a cost-centre) to the outside world, thereby increasing their overall operating margins.

I think this is a smart way to work (from a business point of view) but ethically questionable.