Down The Tubes

Kettle/pot similarity department: US technology website TechCrunch has been issued a legal warning by YouTube's solicitors (or lawyers as the Septics call them) because it has allegedly violated its terms of use by creating a software tool that allows users to download videos from the site. As the posting (replete with said letter) on TechCrunch points out, the 'irony of YouTube accusing others of copyright infringement is delicious'. I am a proud user of one of TechCrunch's rivals PodTube to download clips that are otherwise impossible to find, such as Roy Andersson's brilliant Swedish commercials and I sleep well at night despite all this. Now that YouTube is owned by the 'don't be evil' fellowship that is Google, they may have moved over quite swiftly to the side of the Man. Copyright theft is the way of the future. May all those media executives end their days in Sally Army dorms for their past crimes.