Good news for everyone out there who’s ever thought to themselves: “A 10-minute video of my cat eating ribs on the kitchen floor is just too short.” YouTube  announced today that it has increased its upload limit from 10 minutes to 15 for non-partners. So get kitty lookin’ pretty and start rolling!

So why add the extra five-spot now? Well, on the YouTube blog, the video-sharing site explains that it’s been beefing up its copyright protection tools of late, i.e. the Content ID system (which lets copyright holders have more control over their content). Therefore, it’s less likely that users can, say, upload large chunks of movies and TV shows without permission.

In celebration of this added time, YouTube is also launching a contest of sorts called “15 Minutes of Fame.” Basically, all users have to do is film a 15-minute vid, tag it with “yt15minutes,” and upload it by Wednesday, August 4. The chosen videos will be featured on the YouTube homepage.

We wonder what effect — if any — this new time limit will have on initiatives like YouTube Leanback. Do you think the extra five minutes will equate to better content, or merely more room to rant about video games, Twilight and the like? Let us know!

Via Mashable