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TOKYO - MySpace, the wildly popular social networking site, on Thursday launched a video sharing service on its Japanese website, taking on domestic rivals as well as YouTube.
Nearly 1,300 users have already uploaded personal videos onto the Japanese website, with thousands viewing short films that range from one titled "the screams of the sausage" to homemade music videos.
MySpace Japan follows in the footsteps of Japan's hugely popular social services network Mixi, which allows members to upload an unlimited number of their own videos on the Internet.
MySpace entered the Japanese market in November in a joint venture between media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and Japanese Internet giant Softbank Corp, hoping to entice customers away from Mixi.
But the service will be closely monitored for any coypright infringement or indecent material, MySpace said in a warning on the website.
Rival video-sharing site YouTube -- which search engine giant Google bought in November for 1.65 billion dollars -- has faced complaints in Japan over violations of protected content.
Under pressure from industry groups here, YouTube agreed in February to post a copyright infringement warning in Japanese on its site.
MySpace has grown into an international phenomenon since its launch in California in 2003, attracting more than 100 million registered members around the world.
MySpace, which is owned by News Corp., has been increasingly expanding its reach.
Last month, it launched a new online news service, a Spanish-language site and -- seeking to benefit from the boom in the world's most populous nation -- said it would launch in China. – AFP/ir
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