Netflix pressured to shut down VPN access by content rights holders

[Shawn Knight]

If you’ve ever tried to watch Netflix outside of the US, you already know that access to the service is blocked in most countries around the globe. Then again, you’re also likely privy to the fact that using a virtual private network (VPN) based in the US is an easy way to get around this restriction.

It’s a loophole that virtually everyone in the entertainment industry is aware of but nobody has really done anything about… yet.

As CNET points out, Netflix is preparing to come to Australia in an official capacity in the not-too-distant future. The service is already used by an estimated 200,000 Aussies but when Netflix finally arrives Down Under, rights holders want the VPN workaround to the US version of Netflix to end.

In order for Netflix to abide by those wishes, they’d need to blacklist all of the common VPN providers. Doing so, however, would also cut off access to US-based customers that are using VPNs legitimately. It’d also mean that someone from the US wouldn’t be able to use a VPN to watch Netflix while traveling abroad.

On the other hand, once Netflix officially arrives in Australia, odds are that many of those 200,000 or so estimated VPN users will likely opt to simply subscribe to the Australian version. Of course, this is assuming that both pricing and content offerings are the same. If a Netflix account costs more in Australian and / or there’s less content to stream (either of which are highly likely), existing VPN users would probably have little interest in it.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/58120-netflix-pressured-to-shut-down-vpn-access-by-content-rights-holders.html

 

[noel24]

Everytime I read news like these it reminds me of those cheesy, 80's B class SF flicks that had those Japanese corporations running the world. Welcome to The U.S.of A. - the biggest Communistic Regime of 21st century. And it's not run by Japan, only by Harvard lawyers with a help from Chinese nearly-forced labor.

 

[wastedkill]

So basically because the content holders want to make everyone's including their own lives hard & waste more money they wont make it available to each and every country so people are forced to pound down the VPN's and get access to content that way...

Just makes me wonder why content holders cry all the time about people illegally downloading their content when they make such stupid decisions like this. Its like they are even stupidier then people with big brain development problems.

 

[Bubbajim]

The US Netflix library is vastly better than the UK one. Even as a legit UK subscriber I sometimes pop onto the American one just to watch the stuff that these content providers aren't actually providing to the UK market.

Argh.

 

[TekGun]

These corporate media morons just don't get it. They moan about piracy and then when users try to obtain content legitimately the corps are still not happy. It's like they want people to pirate their content.
I also subscribe to Netflix and wonder why I can't access stuff that's available in the US but not the UK.

 

[SNGX1275]

MLB.TV must have jumped on this bandwagon too. Not working with my VPN right now, and hasn't since early this month.

 

[Guest]

And probably ISP's that are specifically slowing down netflix, where VPN obscure the traffic and there unable to identify it's Netflix so it runs at full speed.

 

[Guest]

Dont forget DNS workarounds. Good luck blocking all of them!

 

[lipe123]

Getting so sick of these companies that treat the internet like small isolated pockets that only works in certain countries/regions.

Stupid dinosaur thinking *****s!
They should have released netflix worldwide on the very first day and figured out how to get royalties etc on a per subscriber model rather than trying to get the money from some dumb licensing fee.

 

[darkzelda]

They love to talk about globalization when it gives them money, when they loose it, they yearn for restrictions to be created.

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

Only greedy corporations would find a way to be upset that people are purchasing their content. There is a special place in hell reserved for you lot...

 

[treetops]

Getting so sick of these companies that treat the internet like small isolated pockets that only works in certain countries/regions.

Stupid dinosaur thinking *****s!
They should have released netflix worldwide on the very first day and figured out how to get royalties etc on a per subscriber model rather than trying to get the money from some dumb licensing fee.

In a perfect world that would be ideal, but to get the permission from all the diff movies and tv shows to sign contracts for every country in the world with their own little laws, languages and taxes would be a epic feat. I don't even think cocoa is sold across every country.

Other media empires have already bought contracts to a lot of media content netflix offers. Zimbabweans version of cable might already have signed a contract with say Warner Bros to only air on their networks.

 

[Guest]

Awesome, block me from paying for content. I'll return to torrents.

 

[tonylukac]

Pretty intelligent imbeciles, those hollywood types.

 

[havok585]

Pirates, ROAM FREE< with these cockroaches in charge no wonder you strive >

 

[Guest]

People outside the US pay the same or more as US subscribers and get a hugely reduced catalogue for their money. If Netflix don't resolve this soon, they will be opening the door for the competition and ultimately loose the international business.

 

[SNGX1275]

People outside the US pay the same or more as US subscribers and get a hugely reduced catalogue for their money. If Netflix don't resolve this soon, they will be opening the door for the competition and ultimately loose the international business.

Good. Shouldn't that be the point? To increase competition?

 

[Darth Shiv]

People outside the US pay the same or more as US subscribers and get a hugely reduced catalogue for their money. If Netflix don't resolve this soon, they will be opening the door for the competition and ultimately loose the international business.

It's the opposite problem. Big content licensing is the reason Netflix can't make content available in overseas markets readily. In Australia, Fox has exclusive rights on a *lot* of content that Netflix has available in the States. The big content providers want to stifle competition and keep monopolistic or duopolistic lucrative markets. They don't want UK/Australia etc to have competition and lower prices. They want you to pay for the incumbents.

HBO costs on AVERAGE $16 a month in the States. In Australia, until last week(?), the *BASE* Foxtel package was $50. You needed to pay extra to get HBO. You needed to pay extra to get sport. It is a complete ripoff. That is why people use VPNs.

 

[wiak]

"Of course, this is assuming that both pricing and content offerings are the same. If a Netflix account costs more in Australian and / or there’s less content to stream (either of which are highly likely), existing VPN users would probably have little interest in it."

nailed it, same problem anywhere, here in norway the content netflix have is old and boring, not many *new* movies come out

 

[Emexrulsier]

The US Netflix library is vastly better than the UK one. Even as a legit UK subscriber I sometimes pop onto the American one just to watch the stuff that these content providers aren't actually providing to the UK market.

Argh.

That is exactly why I use VPN. The US netflix library over shadows the UK one 100:1, it's even more annoying when you notice certain BBC programs on the US netflix that even UK doesn't have! A lot of content providers claim its because they don't have rights to show it in the UK but it appears who ever does hold the rights doesn't host it so what are my options? On top of Netflix I also subscribe to NowTV and Amazon Prime/lovefilm and blinkbox and still miss out in shows that are hosted in the US.