Pandora's Box is
unexpectedly curvy

Though Google has claimed for months that content filtering, a process for keeping unauthorized copyrighted material from appearing on YouTube, will be on its way, a Google lawyer has finally announced the features will launch sometime this fall, according to Ars Technica.

However, IDG interviewed a YouTube spokesperson after the announcement, who stated that despite ambitions to implement this technology as soon as possible, "it's difficult to forecast specific launch dates."

Content filtering capabilities will let copyright holders track "digital fingerprints" of proprietary content, which YouTube will use to block infringing downloads.

Few details exist on how the process will be implemented, and it remains unclear whether Google is developing the technology, or if the work is being farmed to companies like MotionDSP, which has allegedly been developing a solution to the problem for years.

YouTube has been able to ride the patience of current DMCA law, which grants companies safe harbor as long as they respond to copyright holders by taking down content.

In its case against YouTube, Viacom arguest the scale of infringement has been so great that the law is worthless.