At the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, copyright protection solutions provider Macrovision announced it has sold its loss-making games digital rights management unit, Trymedia, to RealNetworks for $4 million.

The company acquired Trymedia for $34m in 2005 from Intel Capital. Trymedia provides syndication and commerce services that enable portals, online retailers, and game developers to distribute PC games through physical and digital channels.

This transaction follows the sale last month of Macrovision’s Software Business Unit to private equity firm Thoma Cressey Bravo for a reported $200m. The deal, due to close next month, gives TCB the company's software delivery, licensing, compliance and installation products under the FLEXnet and InstallShield family of products.

The move follows the announcement of Macrovision’s $2.8 billion bid to buy Gemstar-TV Guide, conditional on anti-trust regulatory approval. Some shareholders opposed the Gemstar-TV Guide acquisition on the grounds it was not a good fit for the. Mark Bishof, currently Macrovision’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Software Business Unit, will assume the role of CEO for the stand-alone software company.

Macrovision announced fourth quarter 2007 revenues from continuing operations of $45.2 million, compared to $36.6 million from the same period in 2006. However, net fourth quarter 2007 income fell to $9.2 million from $16.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2006.

Story filed 03.03.08