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Sony CEO calls Jobs 'greedy'

updated 04:50 am EDT, Fri July 20, 2007

Sony CEO calls Jobs greedy

Sony Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer has described Apple chairman and CEO Steve Jobs as "greedy" according to a New York Post report. Stringer was part of a panel at the Allen & Co. media executive gathering, along with Barry Diller of IAC, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Sergey Brin of Google. Stringer reportedly quipped: "It's funny that Jobs accuses record companies of greed because they want to get paid for music downloads," adding that Job is the "greedy" one because he wants a world where "only he makes money." The Post reports that Moderator Anderson Cooper suddenly changed the subject, but Barry Diller of IAC pointed out the comment, at which point the Sony CEO backed off with a political response.

In February, Steve Jobs in a letter to the world at large openly embraced DRM-free music, but said Apple cannot remove digital rights management (DRM) protection until the big four record labels agree. "The music companies sell the vast majority of their music DRM-free, and show no signs of changing this behavior, since the overwhelming majority of their revenues depend on selling CDs which must play in CD players that support no DRM system," Jobs said at the time.

 
Previous Comments

Jobs greedy ?

07/20, 05:55am reply

No , it's all these companies that up till now screwed everyone else and now Apple is s******* them .. thats what upsetting them

russellb

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

0

true?

07/20, 06:09am reply

Surely this cant be true?

How can the head of Sony (who sell a 450 pound games console), call SJ's greedy?

Isnt Sony making dollars from the ITMS as they own Columbia?

coldfusion1970

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Joined: Nov 2004

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Pot Meet Kettle

07/20, 07:35am reply

I agree with coldfusion (named after server side language?). Sony has always been an aggressive marketer, and where they excel (play station, TV's, ) they deserve success. However, you should not begrudge another company's success. I am sure that some of this is related to the minimization of Sony in the personal music player market.

Of course, this does not stop Sony from creating and marketing portable speakers for the iPod (that had sit badly in many Sony stomachs).

dynsight

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Joined: May 2005

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Sony greed

07/20, 08:00am reply

I find it ironic that Sony is notorious for trying to push their own "standards" for which there are existing standards that were at least as good (MemoryStick, the audio format that was used by Sony digital music players and whose acronyn alludes me, to name a couple) instead of using industry standards. Who's the greedy one? At least Apple has been embracing industry standards in many areas.

TheBum

Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Sep 2001

0

greedy or hypocrite?

07/20, 08:08am reply

The issue is not that Stringer called Jobs greedy but that he called him a hypocrite, coming from the company that placed rootkits on it's cd's and has a history of introducing proprietary technologies, MiniDisc, UMD etc. that seek to limit or control consumer choice, many of which have failed of course! The consumer scandals that have emerged during Stringer's tenure at Sony doubtless reinforce the belief amongst many Japanese business people that gaijin are fundamentally more unethical and that this is the root cause of Japan's financial woes, the westernisation of their social, fiscal and political policies. Time will tell whether the Sony boss is merely being provided with sufficient rope to string himself up. Two years Howard!

Feathers

Forum Regular

Joined: Oct 1999

0

sore loser

07/20, 09:53am reply

Jobs & Co. are in the business of making money, surprise, surprise. No one should ever delude themselves into thinking differently :-D. The fact of the matter is they've come up with ways to satisfy the customer AND make money at the same time. At the same time they are able to shake up and move the tech industry thankfully in the right direction. This is something that these other tech and music companies just don't get.

Toyin

Mac Elite

Joined: Nov 2000

0

Look at the source

07/20, 10:08am reply

Its the New York Post! For all we know, he said Jobs was greedy because he ate more than his share of food at the Oscars.

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

All Greedy

07/20, 10:09am reply

They are all greedy...

dlstarr7

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2003

0

pure envy

07/20, 10:21am reply

I am sure that public statement will bite him in the a** sooner then later... Jobs can keep a grudge for a long time and at this point in time this is not something sony wants to do. Next thing you know apple comes up with an innovative home theater system complete with large LCD and sony will continue to shrink into a headphone and speaker company... I hope Jobs comments on his stupid remark in his next event...

newbee2001

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Joined: Sep 2006

0

Greedy suing dead people

07/20, 10:35am reply

Sony should talk as the RIA sues dead people's grandmothers. THAT'S GREEDY! Putting root kits on what they called CD's. THAT'S GREEDY! Charging internet radio millions plus back charges for all of last year and now adding interest too! THAT'S GREEDY! These other CEO's are jealous that Jobs and Apple have cut them down a notch big time after all the years of these others saying Apple was dead. Now there in that life boat. How does it feel? Not so good does it. ;-)

horvatic

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Joined: Apr 2002

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