Access to geo-blocked sites like Netflix

[no1_vern]

New ISP offers access to geo-blocked sites like Netflix | The National Business Review

UPDATE: NBR ONLINE asked Chapman Tripp principal Justin Graham for his comment on FYX's new internet service. The new ISP lets New Zealanders beat geographic restrictions on US commercial download providers such as Netflix.

Mr Graham - a specialist in intellectual property law - gave the service a green light from the standpoint of New Zealand law.

"I’d expect to see increasing activity in this kind of space. It is consistent with New Zealand’s policy on intellectual property, parallel importing and geographical restrictions, namely that geographical restrictions are not consumer-friendly and New Zealand consumers should be able to access copyright content in a competitive and cost-effective environment," he said.

But, as with a New Zealander accessing iTunes US, you could be violating a media provider's commercial terms - giving it the option to cut off your sevice (should it wish to lose a paying customer).

Do you think it is legal or illegal to provide a service that allows access to "geo-blocked" sites like Netflix??

[tony_j15]

I'm less concerned with the legality and more with having an open, just cyberspace. Geo-blocking like this or China's firewall don't do anything good.

[Bizkitkid2001]

Sites like Netflix and iTunes would love to sell their media with anyone anywhere in the world. It is the content providers that are creating the blocks.

I am a member of CR and this topic comes up all the time on their forums. Users complain that they can't watch a certain show because it says that they are not in a country that the content providers have approved. CR tries their hardest to get as many shows as possible to show in as many countries as possible, but the Japanese TV companies do not allow CR to do so.

If this ISP does allow users to go around this geo-block, the content providers would pressure companies like Netflix, iTunes, and CR to come up with a way to block this new ISP. If they can't find a way, the content providers will say that they are in breach of their contract by allowing people in other countries to view the content and the content providers would then terminate all services.

It is really the content providers that are the ones causing all of the head aches. I wonder how much of a role companies like the RIAA and MPAA play in this as well. (They act like they own everything already)

What I hope is that this new ISP works so well that the content providers see the increase in profit from all of the new users in New Zealand and lift the geo-blocks.