Mark Cuban really doesn't like the idea of Google buying YouTube. His latest rant, which not surprisingly includes the word "moronic", hammers the point that YouTube's appeal is largely based on its ability to offer unlicensed content - a gig, he contends, that will eventually disappear when the lawsuits starting flying. Perhaps YouTube sees the writing on the wall, which would explains the potential deal with Google. But maybe YouTube's M&A appeal has more to do with its strong brand and the Web's ability to deliver content to anyone at anytime. As for whether YouTube is worth $1.6-billion, I would argue it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Was Cuban's Broadcast.com worth $5.7-billion when it was acquired by Yahoo in 1999? Were any of the $1-billion+ acquisitions made by Nortel during the telecom boom worth it? Is the bag of organic milk you bought yesterday worth $9? Where there's smoke, there's fire, which means YouTube is in play - and the investment bankers are already counting their commissions and placing their orders for new BMWs. Maybe YouTube's copyright issues will be a factor in the final price but I think many of Cuban's arguments - while passionate - won't be a consideration at all.