Long before Google swooped in to buy up YouTube there were questions about the video sharing site's future. In particular, concerns relating to copyright infringement have persisted: can YouTube be sued, will they be sued? Will a sanitized YouTube be interesting? The recent acquisition by Google all but ensures that the site will remain under the infringe-o-scope of copyright holders for the near future.

In the first major mass removal of content in its history, YouTube has removed nearly 30,000 videos after being contacted by a number of Japanese rights-holders, according to the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC). The group says that its members found 29,549 videos on YouTube that contain unauthorized materials taken from Japanese sources, including movies, music videos, and television. Japanese broadcast giant NHK was among those seeking the removal of materials.

Ars Technica