Yahoo Inc. has entered into a deal with Sony BMG that will allow users of its video service to download select audio clips and use them in user-created content. Sound familiar? Google's YouTube video service hooked up with Sony BMG for the same type of service just last fall.

The move by Yahoo to make itself more appealing to internet users is probably too little too late, considering the vast gap between the number of YouTube users versus Yahoo Video and Yahoo Music, a disparity in the order of well over two billion according to various accounts.

Yahoo users, under the agreement, will be able to create their own videos using music from Yahoo's service and upload them to Yahoo Video. Users can also upload music to their personal websites, like Facebook, using widgets. The content will only be playable on Yahoo's proprietary media player.

Yahoo will also offer more Sony content on Yahoo Video and Yahoo Music. Some of Sony's artists users might see include Foo Fighters, Avril Lavigne, Santana, Fuel and Barry Manilow.

Deals like this haven't done much to calm the piracy hysteria in recent months. Google was sued by Viacom earlier this year to the tune of one billion dollars over the Mountain View company's failure to remove pirated material from its YouTube service. Several companies, including CBS, NBC, Fox, Microsoft, Viacom, Walt Disney, and MySpace, have even announced a pact for copyright protection purposes.

Yahoo was not forthcoming with financial details of the agreement, but Yahoo typically shares profits from advertising revenue generated with its partners. As the deal sees Yahoo's access to Sony's catalog expand, as well as distribution rights over more territories, these revenues should be expected to increase.