Apple Computer on Thursday issued a scathing response to RealNetworks' move to unlock Apple's proprietary technology and make it possible for people to listen to music in RealNetworks' digital file format on iPod devices. In a terse statement, a "stunned" Apple accused RealNetworks of adopting the "tactics and ethics of a hacker" with the release of its Harmony software. Harmony allows songs sold via RealNetworks' online store to be played on a variety of portable devices, including Apple's iPod and Microsoft-compatible rivals. Apple threatened to block access to the iPod using Harmony the next time it updates the software used to run the device. The company last week unveiled the fourth generation of the trend-setting music player.
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