Just over a week after Microsoft updated its WinPhone YouTube app, Google has sent the company a cease and desist letter demanding it remove the application from the Windows Phone Store.
It's only been a little over a week since Microsoft updated its YouTube application for Windows phones and Google already seems to be having a problem with it. According to a report by The Verge, Google has sent Microsoft a cease and desist letter demanding the company remove the application from the Windows Phone Store and disable all downloads of the application already done, by May 22, 2013.
According to Google, Microsoft's YouTube application lacks enough ads, which is in complete violation of Google's terms and conditions of the company's YouTube API. The report also suggests that Microsoft created the new YouTube app without consent from Google and includes features that prevent ads from playing in the application. This not only hits Google's revenue but also affects other third-party content creators that are paid through the company's AdSense program. "Unfortunately, by blocking advertising and allowing downloads of videos, your application cuts off a valuable ongoing revenue source for creators, and causes harm to the thriving content ecosystem on YouTube," says Google's letter, addressed to Microsoft's Todd Brix.
After reports of the letter started making rounds, Microsoft commented on the same saying "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 today calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers."
This is not the first time Google and Microsoft are having issues regarding YouTube. Earlier in March, Microsoft filed a complaint with the European Commission stating Google's refusal to let Windows Phone access YouTube metadata.
Click here to read the letter.
