YouTube pulls a Hulu — yanking API access from Popcorn Hour
On November 18, 2009 Syabas, makers of the award-winning Popcorn Hour product line, uploaded a message to their Media Service Portal that said, “As of Wednesday, December 2, 2009, YouTube will no longer be available to Popcorn Hour users.”
Please understand that this is neither a technical glitch nor a decision the company has voluntarily made. To be clear, Google has changed YouTube’s terms of service to exclude Set Top Boxes and other devices, and, as a result, Syabas has been asked to remove the content from their platform. We are working diligently with Google/YouTube to restore the service in the future.
What happened? Why has it been removed?
When Syabas first launched YouTube in 2008 on the Popcorn Hour platform, the company executed an agreement with YouTube that allowed it access to YouTube’s application programming interfaces (APIs). Using the company’s Media Service Portal, Syabas developed a unique application that brought YouTube content to the Popcorn Hour in a way that was easy to navigate using the device’s remote control. However, YouTube has always retained the right to change its terms of service in the future should it ever wish to do so. As a result of Google’s decision, Syabas is no longer allowed to access YouTube through its APIs. To be clear, Syabas is not being singled out. With the exception of a few strategic partners Google has chosen to work with, the company has informed Syabas they are asking all over-the-top device makers that are currently connecting to YouTube content through its APIs to take down the service.
