Sony Corp. on Wednesday said it acquired a 1 percent stake in multimedia software provider RealNetworks Inc. in a partnership that will battle Microsoft Corp. for Internet multimedia supremacy.
The stake, worth a little more than $11 million at today's market prices, gives Real a powerful backer and partner as it aims to move its audio- and video-delivery software into new markets. Real and Microsoft are the leaders in multimedia-playback software, but the battle will soon take to new ground targeting broadband delivery and new platforms like rival video game platforms.
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