Google has always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with its competitors in the smartphone market. Apple (News - Alert), Google and Microsoft all work together to some degree when it comes to putting together applications, but there is clearly a lack of interest in ever really being friends. That case was made most clearly when Apple removed the YouTube app from its iOS 6 release. A new fight between Microsoft and the search engine giant is apparently brewing. The new Windows 8 phones recently sported a brand new YouTube (News - Alert) application of their own. A week later, Microsoft got a “cease and desist” letter over the application.

Apparently, Google believes that the Windows 8 application violates the terms of service because it allows users to download the videos off YouTube. The Windows 8 app apparently also strips the advertisements out of the videos. Perhaps even more appalling for Google (News - Alert) is that the application allows users to watch videos that have actually been restricted on certain platforms.

Image via The Verge

Generally these videos have been restricted because a major media source, such as a movie studio, does not want people to have access to them on the streaming video site. There is also apparently a bit of a problem because the developers of the app are using YouTube branding, despite not being affiliated with Google or YouTube. Google has said it will give Microsoft a week, ending on May 22, in order to pull the application out of its store.

Google is perfectly happy to have its applications on other operating systems. It actually likes the market share it gets by being so popular on platforms it does not own. If the search giant tried to limit its applications to Android (News - Alert) or Google TV it would be severely hampering its revenues. Having said that, the company is not going to allow third parties to generate revenue by getting around its terms of service, especially as blatantly as the Microsoft Windows Phone (News - Alert) 8 application is accused of doing.