We've launched our new website, we would love to hear your thoughts & feedback.

Close X

Google demands Microsoft remove YouTube for Windows Phone

posted on May 15th 2013 by

Youtube-for-Windows-Phone

Remember when we said the “official” YouTube app wasn’t made by Google? Well, that was true, and Google isn’t too happy about it. Just over a week ago Microsoft updated the YouTube app and turned it into an actual useful app. Apparently it was too good to be true.

The Verge has obtained a cease and desist letter that Google sent to Microsoft. In the letter Google demands that Microsoft “immediately withdraw this application from the Windows Phone Store and disable existing downloads of the application by Wednesday May 22, 2013.” Once again it appears Microsoft and Google are not getting along.

The reason for the letter is not very surprising. Google is upset that the YouTube app does not have ads. Google says that Microsoft created the app and purposefully circumvented ads, therefore violating the YouTube terms and conditions. This is just the latest in a long list of disputes between the two companies. When Google and Microsoft fight the consumers are the ones who lose.


  • rockuz

    Google is pissed off again at MS. My guess is loosing court battle with MS.

  • http://www.colossaldamage.com/ SuperMarino

    Well, you can’t blame Google I guess, as this is really stealing their content without their revenue stream built in. It just sucks that all these ads are everywhere. I wonder how many people would pay a small monthly sum for an ad-free YouTube experience.

  • http://WinSource.com/ J. Drummond

    While I’d love to see the situation be more of an “Oh, you’re so upset someone made an app for your service? Why don’t you make your own, then?” kind; realistically, Microsoft should not have published an application that circumvented a revenue-generating component of it, not to mention the fact that that revenue also supports for-profit channels within the service.

    I genuinely don’t believe Microsoft could win anything in court with their usual “monopoly over service” spiel, particularly if the ad-blocking was intentional.
    On the other hand, are there advertisements on MetroTube? I’m going to double-check that…

  • WP8 not bad, innovative, new.

    Can’t google focus on getting youtube into china…. at least try and do that first, then come to a compromise and allow an option for ads to be removed with royalties to google…. many better options other than the suggested… just trying to kill off WP which is gaining a lot of respect recently.