YOUTUBE'S failure to complete a key piece of anti-piracy software as promised could represent a serious obstacle to efforts by Google, its new owner, to forge closer relations with the media and entertainment industry.
The video website, the internet sensation of 2006, promised in September the software would be ready by the end of the year. Known as a content identification system, the technology is meant to make it possible to track down copyrighted music or video on YouTube, making it the first line of defence against piracy on the wildly popular website.
YouTube's offices were closed for the New Year holidays. While providing no further details about when the system would be made formally available, it said tests of the system had been under way with some media companies since October 2005 and the system remained on track.
Mike McGuire, a digital media analyst at Gartner, said there was likely to be little patience for missed deadlines.
"The technology industry really has to start living up to the media industry's expectations," Mr McGuire said.
View: The Australian
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