TinyTube used to encode YouTube video so that
it was available to view on mobile phones, but was stopped late
last year by YouTube, which contacted it and said that that
encoding violated the YouTube terms and conditions.
TinyTube posted a comment on its forums on
30th November explaining that YouTube videos would no longer be
available. YouTube and Verizon announced their tie up on 28th
November.
TinyTube's Allen Day confirmed that it
believed that the shutdown was due to the Verizon deal. "We were
informed by YT their action was largely due to pressure from their
new mobile partner, Verizon," he told OUT-LAW.
YouTube's initial contact with the company
suggested that there could be a commercial relationship between the
two, but those hopes quickly faded.
"TinyTube used to have YouTube video available
on the site," said Day. "YouTube contacted TinyTube to request
TinyTube stop redistributing content. In the interest of developing
a working relationship with YouTube [we] obliged. Shortly after,
negotiations with YouTube stalled and are unlikely to resume."
In the original forum posting, TinyTube seemed
to be encouraged by the possibility of a deal. "YouTube expressed
enthusiasm for the work we're doing here to deliver their content
to mobile devices, so we're currently working together to find a
solution to bring the content back online in a way that does not
violate the YouTube Terms of Service," it said.
YouTube did not respond to a request for
comment from OUT-LAW.
TinyTube said that it had not thought that it
was breaking YouTube's rules. "TinyTube maintains that it simply
acts as a transcoding proxy to allow mobile devices to access
content otherwise inaccessible to mobile handsets," said Day.
The move by YouTube could mark a shift in its
attitudes in the wake of its October acquisition by Google. Since
then the previously small company has signed a raft of deals with
some of the biggest names in entertainment and communications.
Alongside the mobile distribution deal with
Verizon it has signed content use deals with Warner, Universal and
Sony BMG, as well as promotional deals with television network NBC.
The dealmaking reflects owner Google's need to receive a return on
its investment.
The search engine giant paid for YouTube with
$1.65 billion in shares. By the time the deal was actually
completed the value of those shares had risen to $1.79 billion.
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