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Microsoft: 'Google Refused to Work With Us on Our YouTube App'

A week after Google sent Microsoft a cease and desist letter to remove its YouTube Windows Phone app, Microsoft makes a public response.
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Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

Last week during Google I/O, Google sent Microsoft a cease and desist letter demanding that the company remove its YouTube app from its Windows Phone Store by May 22. The letter stated that the Microsoft-made app violated YouTube's terms of service by stripping out ads and letting people download videos.

A day ahead of Google's requested removal date, a Microsoft spokeswoman provided Wired with the following comment:

"YouTube is consistently one of the top apps downloaded by smartphone users on all platforms, but Google has refused to work with us to develop an app on par with other platforms. Since we updated the YouTube app to ensure our mutual customers a similar YouTube experience, ratings and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive. We’d be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide us access to the necessary APIs. In light of Larry Page’s comments calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers."

Though Microsoft would not confirm, the statement suggests that the company has no intention of removing its YouTube app by tomorrow to meet Google's deadline. Wired has also reached out to Google for additional comment.

Fight! Fight!

Update on Wednesday, May 22: Microsoft did not remove the YouTube app to comply with Google's cease and desist demand. Instead, Redmond updated the YouTube app to restrict video downloading and offline viewing. "Microsoft updated the Windows Phone YouTube app to address the restricted video and offline video access concerns voiced by Google last week," a Microsoft spokeswoman told Wired. "We have been in contact with Google and continue to believe that our two companies can work together to hone an app that benefits our mutual customers, partners and content providers... We look forward to working with Google to maintain a great YouTube experience for the growing number of people who rely on both of our respective products."