Online video service, YouTube on Tuesday announced that it is launching international channels in nine other countries, a move that would likely enhance the global presence of this hot young video-sharing website, which already streams more than 200m videos a day.
YouTube, apparently brushing its "massive intentional copyright infringement" saga aside, announced in Paris yesterday that it will make its local versions of YouTube sites in nine other countries, including Brazil, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK.
The Websites will be translated into the native languages of each country. The expansion will allow users in each country to share and create videos in their native language, discover the most popular and relevant videos in their markets, and connect with other local users.
According to Steve Chen, YouTube’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, the move to launch more international services was expected for long as most of the visitors to YouTube's Web site in the United States already come from computers located in other countries.
"Video is universal and allows people around the world to communicate and exchange ideas. With our announcement today we are expanding upon our already global platform to make it even more relevant for our local communities," said Chad Hurley, YouTube's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. "YouTube will now be more accessible and interesting to a worldwide audience, and we look forward to rolling out in other countries in the months to come."
With the enhancement, YouTube, the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience, intends to extend its cultural reach and multiply its lucrative opportunities by programming new channels in nine other countries.
San Bruno-based YouTube, which was owned by Mountain View-based online search leader Google Inc. in November for $1.65 billion, also said that these nine new versions will be followed by more local versions.
"From the beginning, we have been totally focused on creating an incredible YouTube user experience and service," said Chen. "We're really excited to now offer that same great service to a global community, by bringing them local sites that not only promote their communities but speak their language."
Sakina Arsiwala, who previously worked on Google's search engines outside the United States, hopes to eventually engineer additional YouTube channels in dozens of other countries.
For the international expansion, YouTube has already signed contend deal with several major international content partners including broadcasters such as the BBC, France 24, the Spanish Antena 3 and Cuatro TV, the Portuguese RTP, the Dutch VPRO and NPO; European football clubs such as Chelsea FC, AC Milan, Barcelona FC and Real Madrid; and non-profit organizations such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, UNHCR and Medecins du Monde.
YouTube already is engaged in pitched battle with the New York-based entertainment giant Viacom Media and other companies over the lucrative copyright videos that users post without proper authorization.
In March, Viacom sued Google for $1 billion, alleging Google owned video-sharing site YouTube knowingly infringed Viacom copyrights "on a huge scale." Besides claiming "massive intentional copyright infringement" of its properties Viacom demanded for an injunction preventing Google and YouTube from further copyright infringement.
In its lawsuit, the American media conglomerate Viacom claimed unauthorized display of over 160,000 video clips picked collectively from MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon by YouTube.
However, in a response to Viacom's copyright infringement lawsuit, the online search leader denied all claims, and late in April filed a confrontational official response in New York’s federal district court, contending that YouTube’s activities are legal.
Adding more to YouTube’s copyright infringement woes, Premier League, England's top soccer league and an independent U.S. music publisher, Bourne Co., in May filed a lawsuit against YouTube, alleging the hugely popular video-sharing portal was "knowingly” misappropriating its intellectual property by encouraging footage to be viewed on its site.
The other parties who filed the class-action suit include the Federation Francaise de Tennis, which puts on the French Open; and the Ligue de Football Professionnel, another soccer group in France.
Founded in February 2005 by three former employees of PayPal as a subsidiary of Google Inc., YouTube is the world's most popular online video community which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. It uses the Adobe Flash technology to display video, and currently is handling a monthly traffic of over 70 million users.
YouTube, which is a subsidiary of Google Inc., provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire the worldwide users. It also acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.
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