YouTube pulls a Hulu -- yanking API access from Popcorn Hour (Update: Google responds)

Hope you weren't enjoying watching YouTube on the television screen via Popcorn Hour and other set-top boxes, as they have been given notice by the newly 1080p and network TV-friendly website that they are no longer welcome to access its content. The new Hulu-ish Terms of Service (section II, item 10) restricts API clients from the ability to "use the YouTube API in connection with any API Client created for use on television set top boxes, television game consoles, or video screens packaged and marketed as television sets;" according to Popcorn Hour COO Alex Limberis this applies to all with the exception of "a few strategic partner's Google has singled out" -- PlayStation 3, Wii, TiVo, Panasonic, Samsung and other licensed hardware is safe.

Update: After speaking with Alex we've got a better view of the situation -- as is clear from the TOS, manufacturers streaming directly via the API as Popcorn Hour did are no longer welcome without cutting a seven figure check to license access. Google did offer to allow continued access via its YouTube XL interface, but for devices like theirs not built around Flash, that possible solution proved to be technologically unfeasible. Obviously these changes apply to all, but as of yet we're not aware of anyone other than Popcorn Hour that has been contacted directly about it.

Update v2: After the break is Google's response, stating Popcorn Hour and the like have been in violation of the above TOS for over a year, from its perspective, this is a simple matter of defending its rights from "video scraping technology." As we mentioned above that means most are in no danger of losing access, but fans of these media streamers will have to live without it, until either YouTube can control the experience or the manufacturer pays up.
Google's statement:

Since July of 2008, YouTube's Terms of Service has restricted implementations for televisions based on our APIs. YouTube has been in active discussions with various developers on how best to implement YouTube on set top boxes and TVs. There are several companies, however, that have deployed solutions, like video scraping technology, to circumvent the rules and violate YouTube's Terms of Service. Companies that have negotiated agreements to use our APIs, like TiVo, Sony, Panasonic and PS3 are not impacted.

[eagrimm Posted Nov 20th 2009 4:19PM]

I wonder if they will remove all the copyrighted material on YouTube then....

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 20th 2009 4:48PM]

Who cares. Youtube is turning into a steaming pile anyway.

[mglidetv Posted Nov 20th 2009 6:37PM]

Unfortunately now this type of blocking is more than an isolated incident. Decided to work on the GlideTV touch remote to enable PCs and Macs to access the whole web on the TV. PCs and Macs seem to be the only platforms to offer the widest range of content at the best price.

[aztek Posted Nov 20th 2009 8:02PM]

Google is banning companies for content scraping... Hmm...

http://news.google.com

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 20th 2009 9:07PM]

Why Google, why? Oh that's right, it's all about money. Screw doing something good, screwing not being evil, even you have to support the monetary system to avoid death. I can only hope that you're behind it because you have blood thirsty investors sucking the life from you.

Or what not?

[Emptyfield Posted Nov 21st 2009 1:49AM]

Nice; ad-giant Google bricks set-top devices, makes it's video service PC only... more or less.

Google has a nice way of taking one step forward, and two steps back.

1080p, 1 step forward. Yanking Popcorn Hour, 2 steps back
Chrome OS, 1 step forward. Cloud ONLY/Netbook ONLY, two steps back.

[imtigger2 Posted Nov 23rd 2009 8:43PM]

Let's see if I got this right....

WE upload our videos to YouTube to share. YouTube then charges the hardware makers to access that free material, so they in turn can provide us access to our own videos.

Is that right?? Do I have it straight?