reddit

“Back in the day, RealNetworks managed to grab early market share for its innovating (for those times) RealPlayer media player.  The player itself wasn't too bad, but once competing products (WinAmp, WMP, QuickTime, etc...) started eating its lunch, the powers that be at RealNetworks decided that the only way to stay on the user's desktop was to hook itself into every nook and cranny of the computer, hijack every file association they could think of, sell shortcuts (to placed on the desktop) to other companies, etc...” source...