Interesting European Netflix Developments

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DickDastardly

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#196337 27-May-2016 12:43

Whilst having a browse through some UK media, I came across a story regarding Netflix European Content and Geo-Blocking (a topic close to all our hearts!)

The European Commission proposes 20% of online content for Netflix and Amazon must be from the EU.

However, Netflix points out 21% of its online video content is already European.

The proposal has to be approved by each of 28 European parliaments.

The Commission also proposed a ban on 'geoblocking' of the internet.

Guenther Oettinger, the EU commissioner for digital economy, said: 'We have a European film culture and we think European content should be in those programmes.'

Mr Oettinger said the Commission believed 'there should be a guaranteed share of those programmes,' and '20 per cent is a reasonable figure'.

More interestingly for us in NZ...

"The Commission also proposed that online firms lift barriers starting next year to internet shoppers who seek cheaper prices for goods and services on sites in different European countries.

'Geoblocking', whereby customers are limited to websites in their home countries for services such as car hire or travel, and are blocked from seeking better prices on foreign sites, will be forbidden under the new proposals.

'Discrimination between EU consumers based on the objective to segment markets along national borders has no place in the Single Market,' EU industry commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said."

Europe love removing barriers of any kind....Sky NZ and companies of that ilk, actively seek to increase bureaucracy, red tape and make it hard for customers to get the services they want. Its a pity us we in NZ haven't got that kind of horsepower behind us to put Sky NZ & Mediaworks etc back in their box...

I don't want no sugar in it - thank you very much

Linuxluver

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#1560707 27-May-2016 13:44

The risk is that without being able to 'segment on national boundaries' everything (services / goods) moves to the cheapest, possibly most corrupt, country and people elsewhere lose out.....

In the EU? You can get a great deal from Romanian Mafia who commandeered all online business at the point of a gun and employ defacto slave labour.

But it's cheap.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

Rikkitic

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#1560713 27-May-2016 13:56

Interesting point but I'm still against geographical distribution, which is just a ploy to inflate the profits of that other mafia. I say more power to the EU.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Talkiet

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#1560719 27-May-2016 14:09

It's a great idea (banning geoblocking) for individual benefits, but will have huge knock on effects.

But no-one cares about those, because they happen either to other people, or in the future, or both.

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

andrew027

1286 posts

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#1560819 27-May-2016 15:36

As far as the EU is concerned, they will only want the geoblocking removed for EU member nations, e.g. someone in France should be able to watch German content. This makes sense in as much as the EU, while not exactly borderless, supposedly allows freedom of movement, employment, trade, etc. between countries. But I can't see them saying people in Africa, America, New Zealand, etc. should have access to that European culture without paying for it.

It's hard to see how that would benefit New Zealand, unless it gave us access to Australian content (is CER still a thing?). But then there's probably some fine print in the TPPA saying we won't let people watch anything that isn't provided by someone who has paid for the right licence...

Hammerer

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#1560824 27-May-2016 15:40

DickDastardly:

More interestingly for us in NZ...

"The Commission also proposed that online firms lift barriers starting next year to internet shoppers who seek cheaper prices for goods and services on sites in different European countries.

'Geoblocking', whereby customers are limited to websites in their home countries for services such as car hire or travel, and are blocked from seeking better prices on foreign sites, will be forbidden under the new proposals.

'Discrimination between EU consumers based on the objective to segment markets along national borders has no place in the Single Market,' EU industry commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said."

Europe love removing barriers of any kind....Sky NZ and companies of that ilk, actively seek to increase bureaucracy, red tape and make it hard for customers to get the services they want. Its a pity us we in NZ haven't got that kind of horsepower behind us to put Sky NZ & Mediaworks etc back in their box...

Please provide your link when quoting.

It is not so interesting for us in NZ because they're not really talking about banning geo-blocking in any way that would benefit us here.

They are talking about the EU being one digital market. In other words, treating the EU as one geographical territory.

Rikkitic

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#1560829 27-May-2016 15:47

And it would be logical and natural to include us with the Australian region, at the very least, and ideally also let the Pacific nations in. I dread to think what approved streaming must be like for some of our smaller neighbours.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

JonnyCam

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#1560879 27-May-2016 17:06

Rikkitic:

And it would be logical and natural to include us with the Australian region, at the very least, and ideally also let the Pacific nations in. I dread to think what approved streaming must be like for some of our smaller neighbours.

The internet connections / poor infrastructure in some of smaller islands don't really allow for it. (we deal with some for work, and remotely connecting & using a pc is a painful experience)

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Sideface

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#1560884 27-May-2016 17:25

JonnyCam:

Rikkitic:

And it would be logical and natural to include us with the Australian region, at the very least, and ideally also let the Pacific nations in. I dread to think what approved streaming must be like for some of our smaller neighbours.

The internet connections / poor infrastructure in some of smaller islands don't really allow for it. (we deal with some for work, and remotely connecting & using a pc is a painful experience)

+1 Even comparatively sophisticated Norfolk Island only has ADSL1 (data allowance 60 GB) for $180 per month (Australian dollars)

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