Google, Microsoft in tussle over YouTube app

Google "requested" Microsoft to pull from its Windows Phone Store a Microsoft-authored YouTube app and disable copies of that app on consumers' devices by May 22, a tech site reported Thursday (Manila time).

 

Wired.com posted on its site a copy of Google's cease-and-desist letter giving Microsoft one week to remove the app disable existing copies of it.

 

"It appears that the (Microsoft-authored) application: (1) allows users to download videos from YouTube; (2) prevents the display of advertisements in YouTube video playbacks; and (3) plays videos that our partners have restricted from playback on certain platforms (e.g., mobile devices with limited feature sets). These features directly harm our content creators and clearly violate our Terms of Service," read part of the letter as posted on Wired.com.

 

"We request that you immediately withdraw this application from the Windows Phone Store and disable existing downloads of the application by Wednesday, May 22, 2013," it added.

 

The letter by Francisco Varela, director of YouTube's global platform partnerships, was addressed to Todd Brix, general manager of the Windows Phone Apps and Store.

 

Varela said content creators make money on YouTube by monetizing their content via ads, which may be cut off by the Microsoft app's feature that prevents the display of ads.

 

He also said the app overrides decisions by some content creators to keep their content from displaying on certain devices.

 

"We were surprised and disappointed that Microsoft chose to launch an application that deliberately deprives content creators of their rightful earnings, especially given that Windows Phone 8 users already have access to a fully functional YouTube application based upon industry-standard HTML5 through the web browser," he said.

 

Wired.com also noted Google CEO Larry Page, at his presentation at the Google I/O keynote, scolded Microsoft for “milking off” of Google’s innovations.

 

Microsoft's reply

 

But ZDNet quoted a Microsoft spokesperson as saying Google "has refused to work with us to develop an app on par with other platforms."

 

"We’d be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide us access to the necessary APIs. In light of Larry Page’s comments today calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers," it said. — TJD, GMA News