This is probably the most significant cleansing of YouTube since its launch: the service, now in the process of being bought by Google, has removed clips from Comedy Central’s Colbert Report and the Daily Show., in effect getting rid of some of the most popular clips on the service.
As LR notes, both shows haven’t had an issue with YouTube till now, at least before the Google acquisition. In fact, the Colbert Report has used YouTube in its green screen challenge. And Stephen Colbert has mentioned the site so many times on the air, he recently joked that he was owed $700 million in licensing fees.
Staci adds: Essentially, YouTube is continuing the policy described most recently by co-founder Chad Hurley at Forbes MEET: the rights holder complains, points out specifics, items are removed by YouTube. (More then appear in their place until the rights holder complains about them. Rinse and repeat. I just found plenty to watch with searches for “comedy central” and “Jon Stewart.” It’s like emptying a bathtub with a melon-baller.) The content ID technology YouTube is promising now will include a way for “partners” to identify and remove content directly.
-- Another aspect worth noting—dozens of legit clips are up at Comedy Central’s own Motherload. 
Related: YouTube Deletes 30,000 Copyrighted Files