I just checked their youtube channel and embeding seems to be enabled on all their youtube videos, what a bunch of twats.

Paris because even she could spot that problem.

Are wankers.

I think the easiest solution here, is for the press sites to boycott AP. If press sites stops buying from AP altogether (until they fix their attitude), this will solve itself. Either AP will get some healthy competition, or AP will fix their attitude. Either way, the users win.

//Svein

To be "fair" to them, they probably have their heads so far up their asses that it's not surprising that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. The 'legal' department probably truly didn't know that there was a YouTube channel. Just some gung-ho assholes looking for something to do while they collect their hefty retainers.

There appears to be an unresolvable Arse/Elbow differentiation conundrum in progress at AP.

This used to be practised by parking sharks. They buy a bit of unfenced land, put up a sign saying "parking prohibited, fine £200" and then deliberately park a lorry in front of the sign so it can't be seen. Then clamp everybody who parks alongside it until they cough up the release fee.

Sounds like AP is doing exactly the same with its videos -- entrapping people into making use of them, then trying to charge them for it.

Except that because there's no clamping mechanism, the only way to get any money from it would be court action -- and sensible courts are likely to take a dim view of companies that use entrapment as a business model.

Take two steps back... no.. one forward... no I was right take two steps back...

Ok, now that you're relaxed and are not hyperventilating, take a look at the larger picture.

AP and Google are in a battle over Google's aggregation of AP's news stories.

This is just another part of the battle.

Seems Google has gotten to big for their britches and someone needs to bitch slap them.

1. keepvid.com

or, if that's not working:

2. clipnabber.com

Copy the URL, paste it in, download the resulting link to an mpeg4 file, et voila! Sic semper AP.

Besides, when you think about it, YouTube rather goes against one of the main advantages of the Internet: the idea of decentralized content; it's pulled from one site, but a buttload of "mirrors" of the content spring up elsewhere. I know I'm not the only one who remembers that old-school concept. Thank Dog for good old Web 1.0.

Pricks.