From measures to catch copyrighted content, to sponsored channels, shilling and blatant gaming of the system, YouTube isn't what it used to be.
The biggest changes will be copyright and commercialization. YouTube spent a long time under the radar of the content companies, but the Google-YouTube deal blows away the last of their obscurity. On the copyright issue, YouTube will do the best it can, highlighting unlicensed content and giving content creators the option to replace it with an authorized copy or take it down, says the AP. In a previous story, it was suggested that if copyright holders left the clips up, even those that weren't authorized, they'd be able to share a cut of the ad revenue. If that's the case, it gives content creators a strong incentive not to be heavy handed, but it remains to be seen how they'll use (or abuse) the tools YouTube provides them.
Another concern is advertising. For now, YouTube videos are supported by banner ads, which will now be replaced by Google ads. That's the main reason for the acquisition: bringing together Google's ad platform and YouTube's massive content repository. But let's not forget that Google has a video-based version of Adsense, and that video ads have a great CPM - according to GigaOm, video advertisements can rake in $5 to $30 per 1000 impressions. As a result, Google must be tempted to try some kind of video advertising.
There's a more subtle form of commercialization, too: now that YouTube has all the eyeballs, we're seeing more promotional videos for people and products, more comment spam, more gaming and a poor signal-to-noise ratio. More than ever, you have to filter through the crap to find the good stuff. With the top videos gaining hundreds of thousands of views, uploaders are now trying tricks like manipulating the ratings, or briefly flashing a photo of a hot chick at exactly halfway through the video - this becomes the thumbnail and acts as a trap to gain more views. Look out for top users cashing in, too, like Brookers creating promotional videos for NBC's video site and the NumaNuma guy selling downloads, ringtones and t-shirts.