Apple will put Google's YouTube on television through its Apple TV set-top box. It says from mid-June users will be able to automatically stream YouTube content onto their televisions. At present, Apple TV users can only access content stored in Apple's iTunes music and video library system. YouTube members will also be able to log onto their accounts on Apple TV.

The move may raise copyright issues for Apple, as YouTube faces a number of infringement lawsuits. YouTube is currently being sued for $1bn by Viacom, after users uploaded thousands of Viacom-owned videos to the service without its permission. However, following Apple's announcement of the tie-up with YouTube, Viacom struck a conciliatory tone: "We're always vigilant about protecting our copyrights," said a Viacom spokeswoman. But we would welcome the opportunity to license our content to Apple as we do with all distributors."