RapidShare expands webstore and starts selling games

RapidShare quietly opened up the beta version of its digital content store last week, and according to The New York Times, the Switzerland-based file host site has hinted at plans to encourage users to sell any kind of content. Movies could be next, as RapidShare has previously said that it wants to sell titles from major studios like Warner Bros.

It’s a small start, but RapidShare apparently has big plans for a legitimate digital content business. In an announcement posted on its site last week, RapidShare said it aims to make shopping for digital goods “as fast and simple as possible” with the store, adding that it plans to open it up to publishers in a self-serve fashion: “Do you create digital content yourself and would like to offer it to other RapidShare customers? No problem, this will soon be possible!”

This isn’t the first time RapidShare has talked about entering the digital content business. The company launched an experimental movie site at the end of 2009 that featured trailers from Warner Bros. However, RapidShare did not maintain very good relations with the entertainment industry in the recent years. Although judges could not establish illegal behavior by RapidShare, record labels and other content owners have repeatedly sued the company for facillitating copyright infringements.

RapidShare now has the challenge to convert downloaders of free content to paying customers. It will be very interesting to see if they succeed, as their fan base was initially characterised by people that prefer free riding to swiping their credit card.

Source: The New York Times, RapidShare