By Sarah Smithon Monday, 9 Oct 2006 Search engine Google is reportedly in talks with video-sharing website YouTube over a possible buy-out.
If a takeover goes through, it will mean that Google has around half of the streaming video market.
YouTube, which allows people to upload home videos of themselves or watch music videos from a huge selection has quickly become immensely popular. Commentators believe its sudden success has to do with its willingness to make use of user comments and links to video pages.
Google's own video service garnered a total of around 13 million users in August, as opposed to the 34 million that were attracted to YouTube.
A takeover could provide Google with a real community, which it does not currently have.
A deal could go through for £850 million, reports suggest, even though YouTube has yet to become profitable. However, it is believed that Google wants to maximise the untapped potential of the site.
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