Is RealOne Player/RealNetworks spyware?

I am preparing someone's computer for Windows XP Pro SP2.  After uninstalling 
Real Player and then using a Registry cleaner to remove any artifacts
I came upon the following directory:

 
C:\Documents and Settings\mary\Application Data\Real\RealOne Player\WatchFolders

The directory WatchFolders contains a file called fldrscan.out which
opens with notepad to reveal a list of items of the form:

C:\Program Files\KaZaA Lite\My Shared Folder\abc.mp3
C:\Program Files\KaZaA Lite\My Shared Folder\def.mp3

They wanted to know if RealOne Player/RealNetworks had scanned their
hard drive and/or the above mentioned folder and written a list to
fldrscan for later transmission to parties unknown.  I said that I had
heard Realone/RealNetworks was intrusive so I used WMP and Quick Time. 

Even after I told them that I didn't think RealOne would really
transmit private data they remained apprehensive so I told them I
would find out more here on G**gle Answers.

What is the purpose of WatchFolders and fldrscan.out?
Does Realone/RealNetworks transmit the contents?

Hi grthumongous...

Though there is very little on this as a result of searches
on the internet, I have found confirmation that this folder
exists in the installation of other users, with no alarm
bells going off in relation to its existence. 

One bulletin board post, unfortunately in German, and not
well-translated by the Google 'translate this page' function,
seems to confirm what I have surmised by exploring my own
installation of the RealOne Player, and that is the fact 
that there is an option, available by going to:
Tools -> Preferences -> My Library, to 'Add Media Automatically
To Library'. If this feature is enabled, it can be set to 
scan specified folders, and "Include Other Products' Folders",
and can be set to perform this scan every 'so many' minutes
to automatically add new media files to the Library.

This is, as a poster at the German bulletin board states, 
"a comfort function", not spyware:
"The Player leads simply a list of all audio/video data on the
 computer. In addition it looks for the plate off and some files
 grazes it also regularly for new contents off. That is not Spyware,
 that is (into the option also disconnectible) a comfort function,
 as they have various other Player also."
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://forum.giga.de/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D54504%26goto%3Dnextoldest&prev=/search%3Fq%3DRealOne%2BPlayer%255CWatchFolders%26num%3D50%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26c2coff%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG


If the presence of this directory and the fldrscan.out file
are undesirable, I believe they can be eliminated simply by
disabling the feature 'Add Media Automatically To Library',
though the program may leave the folder and file intact after
doing so, and you may need to delete them manually, after
which they should not reappear.

Since I was unable to reproduce this folder and file by 
enabling this feature, it may be that they are the result
of some other scan-and-add feature in RealOne Player, or
it may be that the feature is unavailable in my version,
which is the free version, not the paid one.

If you view the contents of fldrscan.ini, at:
C:\Documents and Settings\mary\Application Data\Real\RealOne
Player\DataCache\Formats  you will see a collection of folders
and registry keys which seem to be default locations for the
many "Other Products' Folders" which RealOne Player will scan in
search of media:

---------------------------------------------------------------
[FolderWatch]
Interval=3600
RealJukebox=HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\RealNetworks\RealJukebox\
1.0\Preferences\DestAudioPath

MusicMatch=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MusicMatch\MusicMatch
Jukebox\4.0\MainApp\MusicPath

Napster=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Napster\*\SavePath

WindowsMediaPlayer=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\
Preferences\CDRecordPath

Desktop=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Shell Folders\Desktop

DownloadDemon=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netzip\Download Demon\
Version 3.0\DownloadFolder

RealDownload=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\RealNetworks\RealDownload\
4.0\DownloadFolder

MusicNet=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\RealNetworks\MusicNet\1.0\
Preferences\SharedFolder

Morpheus=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Morpheus\LocalContent\DownloadDir

KaZaA=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Kazaa\LocalContent\DownloadDir

PressPlay=HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\pressplay\1.0\Preferences\
DownloadDir

imesh=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\iMesh\Client\LocalContent\DownloadDir

Go!Zilla=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Radiate\Go!Zilla\options\
default_directory

Bodetella=C:\Program Files\BoDeTeLLa\bodetella.ini|CLIENT|DEFAULTPATH

BearShare=C:\Program Files\BearShare\FreePeers.ini|Downloads|
szDownloadDir

Gnotella=C:\Program Files\Gnotella\gnotella.ini|Downloads|
DownloadsDirectory
---------------------------------------------------------------

Please note that I do not have the vast majority of the programs
included here, so their presence in this file is by default.


Finally, a search for WatchFolders indicates this is a common
feature of the MusicMatch Jukebox, and, since the paid version
of RealOne Player offers a RealJukebox, which may be similar
to, or a partnered version of, the MusicMatch Jukebox, I wonder
if your client has the RealJukebox installed.

This page from MusicMatch outlines this feature of MusicMatch:
"WatchFolders will automatically add newly acquired music into
 the program's music library. No more manual entry, MUSICMATCH
 Jukebox will search for digital media files on cue, or at
 regularly scheduled intervals and update the music library with
 the latest tracks."
http://www.musicmatch.com/info/company/press/releases/?year=2002&release=6

Evidence of RealJukebox, in the RealOne Player, is at:
Tools -> Preferences -> My Library -> Advanced My Library
in the Security Key section.


While I have not found any but the German Bulletin Board entry
asserting that this is not spyware, the lack of results which 
would lead to this conclusion is overwhelming, and, given the
tremendous concern over security these days, in addition to 
the other information I've provided, I believe it is safe to
state with 100% certainty that this is not spyware, but a 
built-in "comfort" feature of the program.


Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that  
the answer cannot be improved upon by way of a dialog  
established through the "Request for Clarification" process. 

sublime1-ga


Searches done, via Google:

RealOne Player\WatchFolders
://www.google.com/search?q=RealOne+Player%5CWatchFolders

fldrscan.out
://www.google.com/search?q=fldrscan.out

fldrscan
://www.google.com/search?q=fldrscan

WatchFolders
://www.google.com/search?q=WatchFolders

WatchFolders site:www.musicmatch.com
://www.google.com/search?q=WatchFolders+site%3Awww.musicmatch.com

---

Clarification of Answer by sublime1-ga on 26 Sep 2004 18:44 PDT

grthumongous...

While we're on the topic, there is a list of settings which 
can be tweaked to limit the amount of 'calling home' which
the RealOne Player does. While not truly spyware, some of 
it can be considered adware, and the rest are relatively
minor intrusions on one's privacy and bandwidth:

-----------------------------------------------------------

Under Tools -->  Preferences:

Under Connections
-uncheck Automatically detect my online status 

Under Internet Settings : 
-uncheck Send connection-quality data to Realservers
-uncheck Send RealOne Player GUID to RealServers 
-uncheck Send configuration information when connecting
 to Tech Support

Underneath Automatic Services
-uncheck Periodically check for software updates 
-uncheck Periodically check for new messages 
 (this prevents them from sending you spam in popups) 

Under Automatic Services/Automatic Updates 
-uncheck Automatically download and install important updates

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure you'll be able to utilize these guidelines in working
with this and other clients of yours.

Many thanks to researcher tlspiegel-ga for forwarding this
to me so that I didn't have to go digging for it in its 
original location!

sublime1-ga

Sublime1, you were fast and very thorough.  This is good to know since
a lot of clients have this on their computers.
A special thanks to tlspiegel for their initiative.

Thanks very much for the rating, the stars and the tip!

The License Agreement, that one accepts when installing RealPlayer,
says in its Article 6(a): "...By installing and/or using the Software,
you consent to the Software's communications features. Once you log
into the Software, user information including your user id will be
sent in communications with RN's servers...."

This looks like (consented) spyware.