YouTube testing video downloads

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YouTube said it is dabbling with letting people download videos to computers as an alternative to watching clips streamed over the Internet.

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Video owners would be able to offer downloads for free or for small fees paid through a Google Checkout service, according to YouTube product manager Thai Tran.

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“Many video creators on YouTube want their work to be seen far and wide,” Tran wrote in a YouTube blog post.

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“They don’t mind sharing their work, provided that they get the proper credit.”

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YouTube has been seeking ways to make money off videos shared at the popular website and address complaints from film and television studios worried that pirated material is swapped there.

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“We’ve started working with a few partners who want their videos shared universally and even enjoyed away from an Internet connection,” Tran wrote.

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Video copyright owners would be able to provide Creative Commons permits that license YouTube members to reuse content within specified limits.

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“We’re also testing an option that gives video owners the ability to permit downloading of their videos from YouTube,” Tran noted.

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Lecture videos from classes at a set of U.S. universities including Stanford and Duke are being offered as free downloads at YouTube as part of a test of the service.

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YouTube channels for Khan Academy, Household Hacker and Pogobat are also participating in the test of the potential “distribution and revenue-generating tool,” according to Tran.

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