When Google bought YouTube last year, most throughout the blogosphere saw the move as a natural fit for the search company and lauded the acquisition as an monumental success.
Nearly six months later, however, YouTube’s sparkle is beginning to fade amid the copyright complaints that are plaguing Google’s legal department.
Mark Cuban, among others, predicted that the acquisition of the popular video-sharing sight would be a legal nightmare for Google, and while the implications of the partnership may not be leading to an epic downfall for the search giant, the fact remains that protecting copyright lingers as the most significant obstacle to monetizing YouTube.
When Google bought YouTube, the company promised that technology to prevent copyrighting material from being uploaded would be in place by the end of the year. January has come and gone, and YouTube remains without any such technology.
Seeking to appease video content producers, Google is promising that copyright protection technology for YouTube is close at hand.
“We are definitely committed to (offering copyright protection technologies),” Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said in an interview with Reuters. “It is one of the company’s highest priorities,” he said.
“We just reviewed that (issue) about an hour ago,” Schmidt continued. “It is going to roll out very soon … It is not far away.”
For both Google and YouTube’s sake, the technology had better not be too far away. Already both Viacom and CBS have backed out of content agreements with YouTube, while competitors such as Joost and MSN Soapbox eagerly await the opportunity to benefit by inking deals with major media outlets that are unhappy with YouTube.
All is not lost, however, as the BBC is looking to reach an agreement for the distribution of its content on YouTube.
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