PPLive, a Shanghai-based video file-sharing software maker, isn't making nice with YouTube. The company, which describes itself as a "P2P televiion [sic] network software that famous all othe [sic] world," reportedly has $21 million in funding from some big names, including Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
But big names or not, its most recent release -- a plug-in that expedites YouTube file downloads -- may not be appreciated by our friends in San Bruno.
It's not that Google violently opposes file sharing -- as NewTeeVee points out and the New York Times reported, the company took a $5 million stake in Chinese file-sharing site Xunlei. But PPLive violates YouTube's terms of use agreement, which states in no uncertain terms that content cannot be downloaded from the site. A YouTube spokesperson said as much when we asked for a comment on PPLive's plug-in.
"YouTube seeks to give content creators and owners the ability to manage how their content is distributed and consumed on our site. Downloading our users' content without their permission would violate those principles and our terms of service," said the spokesperson.
See Also:
