In a Wired interview, Yorke explained that "every record for the last four—including my solo record—has been leaked. So the idea was like, we'll leak it, then."‏¹⁸ Radiohead's managers have said that they would not have released the album as they did unless they were sure the physical CD would sell well.‏³¹ Writing about the unusual release method, Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented, "For the beleaguered recording business Radiohead has put in motion the most audacious experiment in years."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Rainbows#Formats_and...