The kings of copy Microsoft have confirmed they are testing a new video sharing platform called Soapbox which is, you guessed it, their copy of YouTube. A limited community of invited users will get to play with Soapbox during its pilot phase - with a proper launch planned for early next year.
Commenting on the new service, MSN's Rob Bennett told reporters: "We're definitely not blind to the fact that YouTube has a big lead right now. [But] it's really early days in online video. This is still act one". (Which is, of course, exactly what Microsoft's J Allard said when asked about the lead Apple's iTunes has on their new download service Zune).