Photos: Tech marketing stunts gone awry

RealNetworks stepped up its music war on Apple Computer in 2004 with results it didn't likely expect.

Hostilities started in late July, when RealNetworks cracked Apple's FairPlay code, meaning songs bought from the RealPlayer Music Store could be played on the iPod--a move that went down very badly over at Apple. RealNetworks then decided to ratchet up the pressure by slashing the cost of its downloads to below the 99-cent price barrier favored by Apple.

The next step--a campaign and petition to get music fans to support the company's open stance--didn't work out quite as RealNetworks had hoped. Some consumers besieged the petition with obscenities and anti-RealNetworks postings.