NationStates Jolt Archive

Google has succeeded in purchasing the popular video site YouTube for over $1.6 billion. What do you think about this? Do you think they'll make any susbtantial changes? Do you even use YouTube that much? It's apparently the #10 most highly-trafficked website, according to Alexa.

Methinks we should turn NSG into some cool new-age commodity and sell it to gullible corporations at a high price...

Firstly... More ads. Also I expect that every movie on the site that isn't orginal, (Music videos, Movie clips, etc) will be deleted pretty rapidly because of Copyright infringment... and since that's around 70% of the site. Which could cause you tube to go into a death spiral. This also gives Google a near monoply on online video uploads.

If they were smart, they wouldn't change a thing.

If they were smart, they wouldn't change a thing.

Famous last words, JuNii.

I don't really use it at all. Unless somebody links me to something, or I'm debating with someone online and they put up a relevant video.

What do Google plan to do with it?

Rhaomi do you have a source for this? Because Youtube itself doesn't have anything about this. Wait never mind Found it.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/google_youtube.html

Google To Acquire YouTube for $1.65 Billion in Stock

Combination Will Create New Opportunities for Users and Content Owners Everywhere


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 9, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has agreed to acquire YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community.

The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment communities with Google's expertise in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach a vast new audience.

"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful,” said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. “Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers.”

“Our community has played a vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. “I’m confident that with this partnership we’ll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide.”

When the acquisition is complete, YouTube will retain its distinct brand identity, strengthening and complementing Google’s own fast-growing video business. YouTube will continue to be based in San Bruno, CA, and all YouTube employees will remain with the company. With Google’s technology, advertiser relationships and global reach, YouTube will continue to build on its success as one of the world's most popular services for video entertainment.

The number of Google shares to be issued in the transaction will be determined based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days prior to the completion of the acquisition. Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

The company will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) today to discuss the acquisition. To access the conference call, please dial 800-289-0572 domestic and 913-981-5543 internationally. A replay of the call will be available until midnight Monday, October 16 at 888-203-1112 domestically and 719-457-0820 internationally. Confirmation code for the replay is 2260624.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

About YouTube
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs, and e-mail. YouTube currently delivers more than 100 million video views every day with 65,000 new videos uploaded daily and it has quickly become the leading destination on the Internet for video entertainment.

So they bought enough stock to gain Majority holding. They haven't fired anyone or anything. And it looks like they won't intervene with Youtube's policies. That's good.

Rhaomi do you have a source for this? Because Youtube itself doesn't have anything about this.

The BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6034577.stm) has it.

If they were smart, they wouldn't change a thing.

so how will they make their money back?

they will stick ads on it and leave us to it. well, not if you live in china but, hey, its google.

Damnit Google, I used to like you. But now you are going to piss me off if you fudge up YouTube.

I just heard that on the evening news... Don't know whether that is a good thing or not, though.

I fear that it'll change YouTube - and not to the better.

I for one am reasonably optimistic.

Either YouTube will stay the same (possibly with more ads), or we'll lose all the music videos, or have to start paying for the full versions of them. Which is utter bullshit, but, hey.

I just heard that on the evening news... Don't know whether that is a good thing or not, though.

I fear that it'll change YouTube - and not to the better.

I'm guessing it'll be roughly the same, just plastered with more adverts is all.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m92/matthewthirlwell/google.jpg

If we have to start paying/start losing things like clips of the Daily Show or music videos and whatnot, I'm going to be really freaking annoyed. Google was just a search engine! A SEARCH ENGINE! When did it become a multi-billion dollar corporation?!

I, for one, am optimistic. Google's got a longstanding track record of offering great services for free (Google Earth, Sketchup, Froogle, et al), so why not the same with YouTube? The copyright issue bothers me, though; the original owners were pretty lax -- they didn't remove anything unless the copyright holder requested it -- but I'm sure Google has higher standards.

That's the thing, though - where else could you watch music videos without a tellie-station that shows them...

I, for one, am optimistic. Google's got a longstanding track record of offering great services for free (Google Earth, Sketchup, Froogle, et al), so why not the same with YouTube? The copyright issue bothers me, though; the original owners were pretty lax -- they didn't remove anything unless the copyright holder requested it -- but I'm sure Google has higher standards.

You mean lower standards, right? Unless you're using it in the opposite context, that is.

I, for one, am optimistic. Google's got a longstanding track record of offering great services for free (Google Earth, Sketchup, Froogle, et al), so why not the same with YouTube? The copyright issue bothers me, though; the original owners were pretty lax -- they didn't remove anything unless the copyright holder requested it -- but I'm sure Google has lower standards.

FIX'D!

FIX'D!

*points to my post above yours*

You mean lower standards, right? Unless you're using it in the opposite context, that is.

What, you're saying Google would encourage copyright infringement? Or at least tacitly accept it? I don't think any of the big-media companies would let them get away with such practices.

*points to my post above yours*

:D

We had a bit of a connection there...

I think I love you.

What, you're saying Google would encourage copyright infringement? Or at least tacitly accept it? I don't think any of the big-media companies would let them get away with such practices.
And that is exactly the reason why the youtube buy is bad.

What, you're saying Google would encourage copyright infringement? Or at least tacitly accept it? I don't think any of the big-media companies would let them get away with such practices.

Like what was said earlier, the big companies weren't even have problems with the copyright infringement; they were letting it slide, that is, unless the proper owners of the material said otherwise. That's why there are still so many videos on YouTube. They let it slide because you couldn't (and still can't) download the material to your computer.

And yes, it would mean that Google have pretty questionable standards if they go off and delete all of the copyrighted content that none of the owners have issues with.

In all likelyhood I don't see much of a change beyond ads. YouTube is VERY popular, and the last thing Google would want to do is piss off a very large group of e-nerds.

GooTube?

Don't they already have Google Video? Are they trying to create a monopoly of the internet video business?

expect big brudda to start getting lists of who looks at what.

dont look at monkeys humping if you have political ambition ;)

No matter how you look at it, people will still log on and tube their vids.

They let it slide because you couldn't (and still can't) download the material to your computer.
That's not entirely true, though. If you use Firefox, it breaks down the videofile in many small bits, but the IE still stores it as one big file which can be copied from the IE temp folder to another location and played with the VLC media player...

GooTube?

Don't they already have Google Video? Are they trying to create a monopoly of the internet video business?
I wonder what will happen when Microsoft and Google finally clash...

I wonder what will happen when Microsoft and Google finally clash...

Sunday! Sunday! SUNDAY!!!

Google's engineers will probably make Youtube a hundred times shinier and more efficient, with amazingly convulated but incredibly original code driving it - and they'll increase the staff from 60 to a few hundred - meaning illegal content will be deleted much faster.

I wont mind more ads from google, but like others above me have stated, I have enjoyed watching full-length movies on youtube, or music videos, etc. Hopefully google will not change this.

Famous last words, JuNii.well.. I did cover my @$$ with the "if they were smart" ;)

so how will they make their money back?

they will stick ads on it and leave us to it. well, not if you live in china but, hey, its google.that's one way. another is to link their sites and YouTube together. Increase the hit count...

That's the thing, though - where else could you watch music videos without a tellie-station that shows them...ARE there still stations that show music videos?

I wonder what will happen when Microsoft and Google finally clash......
Goo soft
Microgle
Micro Goo
Google Micro



"Resistance is Futile"?

They better not change one thing. YouTube owns man...I can;t believe they sold it and to Google no less.

I think this is the happiest day of whoever runs youtube's life.

ARE there still stations that show music videos?
In between the ringtone charts and tons of commercials, I happen to have seen one or the other video.
(Guess why I like youtube so much...)

If they change anythingI'll be very VERY angry! CANE SHAKING ANGRY!

They better not change one thing. YouTube owns man...I can;t believe they sold it and to Google no less.

If you wern't even 30 and were offered 1.69bil, what would you do? I'd sell the god damn thing, sacrifice a part to the IRS and live a life of middle class luxury.

Besides, it could have been worse. AOL could have bought it.

If you wern't even 30 and were offered 1.69bil, what would you do? I'd sell the god damn thing, sacrifice a part to the IRS and live a life of middle class luxury.

Besides, it could have been worse. AOL could have bought it.

With even a modest percentage of 1.69 bil you could live a life in considerably more than middle class luxury.

I wonder what will happen when Microsoft and Google finally clash...

'twill be a battle of epic proportions.

If you wern't even 30 and were offered 1.69bil, what would you do? I'd sell the god damn thing, sacrifice a part to the IRS and live a life of middle class luxury.
I think we may have different ideas of what constitutes middle class. Even the annual interest on that would be an upper class income.

They let it slide because you couldn't (and still can't) download the material to your computer.


http://keepvid.com/

sshhhhhh don't tell anybody

I think we may have different ideas of what constitutes middle class. Even the annual interest on that would be an upper class income.

Exactly. Why try to live the high life when you coud live the moderate high life and probably your children too?

The YouTube founders have responded to the acquisition with -- you guessed it -- a YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCVxQ_3Ejkg

I guess being billionaires makes you giddy...

Side note: there's a great program for downloading and converting YouTube videos into iTunes. It's called iTube (http://www.benjaminstrahs.com/itube.php) (so creative!), I use it all the time, and it's fantastic.

Has anyone else noticed that youtube.com is responding mighty slow in the last few days?

I don't think it's my connection, for the rest works just fine...

We are Google. You will be bought out. Your internet tubes will be added to our own. Resistence is futile.
*hopes someone else didn't beat me to Borgle*