Google, YouTube blocks website that converts videos into MP3s

An example of a video file converted into an audio file on YouTube-MP3.org.

/ YouTube-MP3.org

(CBS News) Google has reportedly blocked access to a site that converts YouTube music videos into MP3s.

File conversion site YouTube-MP3.org claims that Google has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the site's owners and has blocked the YouTube-MP3.org's servers from accessing YouTube.

YouTube-MP3.org is a site where users copy a YouTube web address onto a form and the site converts the video in to an MP3 file.

YouTube-MP3.org's administrator claims it does not use YouTube's application programming interface (API). If it is using YouTube's API, the site could be violating YouTube's terms of service, which prohibits developers from separating, isolating or modifying the audio or video component of any YouTube content made available through API.

Other than possibly violating YouTube's terms of service, the site is potentially violating copyright laws. Organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) are paying attention.

According to CNET, the top four record companies have pressured Google, YouTube's parent company, to take action against sites that covert online videos into audio files.

"While Google has taken some modest steps to deal with copyright infringement online, the promises made by Google remain unfulfilled," the RIAA wrote in a report last year.

The RIAA's report suggests that the organization would like to have YouTube pull down any content that would enable copyright infringement.

"Increasingly, music-oriented videos posted on YouTube include links to download the sound recording associated with the video illegally," the RIAA wrote. "This is in violation of YouTube's own policies. In addition, YouTube hosts videos explaining how to 'game' the Content ID system and how to rip the audio content to create an MP3 file from a music video."

Google is caught in delicate dance of protecting the Internet from censorship, while helping organizations like the RIAA discourage copyright infringement.

"We have always taken violations of our Terms of Service seriously," a YouTube spokesman told CNET, "and will continue to enforce these Terms of Service against sites that violate them."

It's still unclear if this is an isolated incident or a sign of things to come. The site TorrentFreak reports that other sites have received similar letters.

YouTube-MP3.org's administrators still feel that their service is legal, claiming that "German Courts have ruled that an online recording tool is not different from any [TV] recorder or something [comparable]."

[tommy25252525]

What about the small men and women (artists) nothing to do with the so called 'music industry' i dont want the industry commercial crap they sell, real music now a days is made by the nobody in there bed room in front of a webcam pushing the boundries of the industries commercial crap.
I want to be able to convert mp3 of the bedroom artists singing and playing guitar who noone knows and in sure they wouldnt mind.
Easy fix is to ask the uploaded if they would like to allow mp3 converting of their upload !!!.

[belladolcezza]

Seriously!!! ***???!!! it is just as legal!!! we will download for free anyways using the youtube converter or not using it!! So stop being retraded and let us use the website youtube-mp3.org!!!!

[aiw86]

Gotta love Google's auto-complete:
Search "yo" and "youtube to mp3" is the 3rd result! It appears Google's technology is actually working the way it was intended to by revealing the most relevant and popular results.

To Google's legal team:

Ever heard of the BETAMAX case? Perhaps you should read up on that one before ruining your legal reputation on this failure of a potential lawsuit. This situation is no different than recording something on the television. The only 'possibly' illegal part of this operation is that youtube-to-mp3 may need to pay royalties on their MP3 encoding since they are generating ad revenue directly related to the encoding of the MP3s.

[ralphing]

You can also just use one of hundreds of programs to download the video, then RIP the MP3. I can do it from a Firefox Add-on.

[false75]

they are already doing this wrong. they shouldn't be going after these websites, it is pointless, they just shouldn't allow the uploading of copyrighted content/music on youtube in the first place. i understand some can get through their content-id systems and what not, but all this is going to do is cause more backlash and more similar websites to be created.

[incorporationxii]

I agree, plus if google is going to go after a site that is simply a non-profit conversion site, it is the same as saying that I could not use a dvd converter to convert the dvd of my school talent show, given to me by the director mind you, so it is compatible with my apple device. And , to quote the last 3 lines of the article, if they are attacking something that is a recording or recording tool, they might as well go after the users with video-game video content.

[OmegaWolf747]

Google can block one site, but others will arise to take its place. Let the game of cat and mouse begin.

[jefkast]

Begin? Do a google search for "get youtube audio". There's dozens of these sites already. I don't really understand why G is only make an example of one. listentoyoutube dot com has been around forever and does this ripping great.