If you’re a fan of YouTubeMP3, you’re not alone. The site estimates 200 million users globally use services of its kind, and bills its own as “the easiest online service for converting videos to mp3.” Google apparently has a problem with that. In June it delivered cease-and-desist letters signed by Harris Cohen, YouTube associate product counsel, to You- TubeMP3 and Music Clips demanding each stop offering functionality to download YouTube content or risk legal consequences. The letter, which TorrentFreak.com posted, stated such sites violate YouTube’s terms of service, which prohibits downloading any video from the site not accompanied by a download link. Further, such sites violate You-Tube’s API’s terms of service, which prohibit applications that “separate, isolate, or modify the audio or video components” of YouTube audiovisual content provided via the API and application and that “store copies of YouTube audiovisual content.” In an open letter, YouTubeMP3 stated it believes its service is legal and has never used the YouTube API “to pull any videos.” YouTubeMP3 also cited Google News and Google Books as examples of Google not practicing what it preaches.
Google Threatens Conversion Sites With Lawsuits
If you’re a fan of YouTubeMP3, you’re not alone. The site estimates 200 million users globally use services of its kind, and bills its own as “the easiest online service for converting videos to mp3.” Google apparently has a problem with that. In June it delivered cease-and-desist letters signed by Harris Cohen, YouTube associate product counsel, to You- TubeMP3 and Music Clips demanding each stop offering functionality to download YouTube content or risk legal consequences. The letter, which TorrentFreak.com posted, stated such sites violate YouTube’s terms of service, which prohibits downloading any video from the site not accompanied by a download link. Further, such sites violate You-Tube’s API’s terms of service, which prohibit applications that “separate, isolate, or modify the audio or video components” of YouTube audiovisual content provided via the API and application and that “store copies of YouTube audiovisual content.” In an open letter, YouTubeMP3 stated it believes its service is legal and has never used the YouTube API “to pull any videos.” YouTubeMP3 also cited Google News and Google Books as examples of Google not practicing what it preaches.
