Would You Pay For YouTube?

The best things in life might be free, but not so much for YouTube users who may now have to pay to download select videos.

YouTube Thursday told users that it is testing a new program that lets its partners decide if they want to charge users for their videos or make them available for free.

On the YouTube blog, the Google-owned subsidiary presented the news as a positive, saying that users who buy videos "receive a permanent, offline copy of the file in return." To buy videos, users have to pay a "small fee" through Google Checkout.

YouTube partners khanacademy, householdhacker and pogobat, among others, are participating in this pilot program as an additional distribution and revenue-generating tool.

YouTube failed to point out the obvious, however: The program enables it to generate revenue, although the site did not spell out terms of the profit sharing plan.

Partners who hook up with the site can set their own prices and decide what kind of license they want for their videos.

"Many video creators on YouTube want their work to be seen far and wide," Product Manager Thai Tran said in the YouTube blog. "They don't mind sharing their work, provided that they get the proper credit. Using Creative Commons licenses, we're giving our partners and community more choices to make that happen."

A small number of YouTubers posted feedback that they liked the idea.

One said, "Congratulations! Integrating Creative Common licensing options will provide a wider exposure platform to new and independent creators."

However, most YouTubers were not happy about the news.

"Good-bye YouTube, hello metacafe or someone else who is free," read one post.

Another disgruntled poster said, "Paying for videos that a lot of people get for free anyway (through other means)? No thanks. Pretty pointless."

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