YouTube was an American online video-sharing platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. Founded in 2005 by three former PayPal employees, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, it quickly gained prominence as a hub for user-generated content, including videos, music, and live streaming events. Google acquired the company in November 2006, turning it into a Google subsidiary and embedding it in the Google ecosystem.
The platform witnessed rapid growth throughout the 21st century, offering features such as video monetization, live streaming, and the ability to share video content across the globe. However, the success of YouTube brought forth numerous copyright infringement cases, which raised concerns about the platform's viability.
Copyright Laws & Content Restriction[]
As the popularity of YouTube soared, copyright holders consistently voiced their grievances about the unauthorized use of their content on the platform. This periodic contention cumulated in the establishment of stricter copyright laws in the United States in 2112. These laws made it impossible for individuals or entities to upload copyrighted content without paying substantial fees to the copyright holder.
The enforcement of these laws severely affected the platform's usage and diversity of content. New content creators faced economic barriers to entry, and the already-existing ones started shifting to other platforms, taking their subscribers and ad revenue with them. YouTube's dominance in the video-sharing landscape began to falter.
YouTube's Transformation to BizTube[]
To adapt to the changing legal and market landscape, YouTube underwent a significant shift in its business model and branding. On March 5, 2303, the platform officially rebranded itself as BizTube, transforming from a video-sharing website into a business-oriented platform. The rationale behind this change was to cater to the growing need for professional content, advertisements, and collaborations in the corporate world.
As BizTube, the platform offered video-hosting services tailored specifically to the needs of businesses, including inter-business communication, product promotion, and skills training. BizTube also provided business-related content creators with a dedicated audience, thereby allowing the platform to retain a significant portion of the video-sharing market.
Successor: FireTube[]
While BizTube served the business world effectively, the need for a new video-sharing platform for general users persisted. Amazon, a global technology company, recognized this opportunity and created FireTube, a platform meant to be the successor to YouTube.
Launched in the 24th century, FireTube aimed to replicate the widespread appeal of YouTube, allowing independent content creators to share videos with a global audience and generate income through ad revenue and subscription services. Although FireTube had to comply with the same strict copyright laws as its predecessor, it found success by focusing on promoting original content and providing creators with support and resources to thrive in the heavily-regulated environment.