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GEOBLOCKING, THE SCOURGE of many online users, could soon be banished to the scrapheap. Sort of.
The EU today unveiled its digital single market strategy, which among other measures would spell the end of companies shutting off access to online content based on users’ member states.
That practice, known as geoblocking, means customers can be stopped from watching some streaming video services overseas or shunted to local versions of online stores where prices are higher than in other European countries.
The European Commission said it wants to produce laws in the first half of 2016 to tackle “unjustified” geoblocking, which had “no equivalent in the offline world”.
You are not refused a product on the basis of your nationality when you physically go to a shop in another member state,” it said.
What’s on?
However when it comes to material like films and TV shows, any changes will come up against copyright hurdles which could mean some content still stays behind country-specific virtual walls.
Those blocks currently mean, for instance, that Irish users abroad in Europe are stopped from watching some RTÉ programmes online. Even viewers in Northern Ireland are prevented from watching certain shows and sporting events.
Similarly, BBC’s popular iPlayer users geoblocking to stop viewers from outside the UK watching all its programmes for free online.
While the commission has said it wants to “modernise” copyright laws, the plan appears to only extend to making paid-for content like digital downloads and subscription services accessible in all countries.
It was unclear how the changes would apply to free content, with the commission noting that funding in some audiovisual sectors relied on “territorial exclusivity” – which didn’t fall under its banner of unjustified geoblocking.
Film companies, in particularly, have been lobbying against any rule changes that would harm their distribution deals for individual countries by taking away their ability to set different release dates.
Andrus Ansip, the commission’s vice president for the digital single market, has previously complained about not being able to watch the same football matches in Brussels he would have access to in his native Estonia.
But he has also said the commission didn’t plan to do away with the system of “territoriality” for some content like film releases until they became available as video-on-demand downloads.
I would like to ask for cross-border access to the content and portability of the content, but it does not mean that we are wanting to destroy this principle of territoriality,” he said.
A commission spokeswoman told TheJournal.ie that increasing access to TV services streamed online and protected by copyright would be considered as part of the proposals.
Here are some other parts of the digital single market strategy:
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I just simply ran a cable under the Irish sea to a friend’s in Wales and hooked up to their box with a splitter.
Try a vpn way cheaper
Genius ;)
Lol u live up to ur name cupid!
Simply install AnonymouX and you can change your ip address to a UK one and watch BBC online if you so wish.
Tips and tricks 2015
Just use a proxy/VPN. I use ZenMate from the Chrome Web Store. It’s free and you can change your IP address to one from the UK, US, Germany, Romania or Hong Kong.
Hola is a service that tacks on to your browser and changes you to the US or UK at the touch of a button.
I use hola on the lap top and my iPhone. It’s great for netflix and I’ve never had a problem with it
You just risk someone else looking at dodgy content on your ip address that could land you in trouble. Never heard of Zenmate. Does the same risk apply and does it work on iOS??
You could just not look at ‘dodgy content’. Or if you have to look whatever that is, just do it when you don’t have the vpn turned on and just let Eircom/UPC look at your ‘dodgy content’.
The way Hola works is someone in another country could be looking at all sorts if stuff but yet the cops will knock on your door.
I’ve read my post 3 times now and I still can’t understand how you misunderstood it???
@Darren – re-read Bob’s initial comment, he’s correct in what he’s saying.
Why not just throw a £5 paywall on it for people outside the UK?
RTE could make a buck by doing the same, they’ll probably ruin it though, and get greedy.
They’d actually make a good bit on it, with the positive reaction to the hurling on Sky last year.
I only watch it for the Angelus myself.
Because nobody would pay to watch Fair City…
Fairly Sh!tty :)
And this is why God invented IP proxy services. I can happily watch BBC and US Netflix from the comfort of my sitting room. The world and technology is changing quicker than regulation can keep up!
F*ck the story, isn’t my angel Benedict looking beautiful?
I thought I’d find you letching here…
You can get all the UK channels at filmon.com for free, streaming in real time. Many other country’s channels too, works great in Ireland.
Hola Unblocker is brilliant! I watch BBC, CBS, Hulu with no problems.
+1
Hold works great. Watched the whole world snooker championship with no stoppages
if only there were some way to use a proxy to fool the BBC website into thinking your browser originates in the UK. But as far as I know no such technology exists and we will have to make do with RTE…
No one is saying there’s no way around it now! But obviously it would be far better if you didn’t have to find a back door in the first place.
That said, what on earth does “cross-border access to the content [...but not...] wanting to destroy this principle of territoriality” mean? He didn’t think that might need a little clarification?
Bismarck would be happy
Does anyone care??!!!!
Yes. The hundreds of thousands of us who use Netflix from Ireland, for example.
Yes you pay for a service that shafts you even before you start to watch. European version of netflix is terrible. The American version has way more content. Hence your getting shafted. Get what you can for free. It’s always better when it’s free.
Type stream into Google. Whatever happens after that is up to you
And they wonder why there’s piracy. Take what you can get after all even if your a good law abiding citizen your still going to get shafted all the way to the bank. Thats a fact. So don’t start with the smart comments. Just enjoy life. After all one way or another we’re all getting robbed ripped off and scammed. If you worry you die. If you don’t worry you still die. Enjoy life
Hidninja vpn …problem solved ..
I have iPlayer on my Sky box and I swear, I may have used it once in the past 3 months. You’re not missing too much.
I recently rented a book from the library, The Gym Bible , I was so impressed with it I decided I would buy it online , when I searched for it I discovered that it could be downloaded for free, happy days until it said that content was not available to download outside of America. I did but it in the end online for €20 but if i didnt have to i wouldnt have .
ExPat Shield is brilliant for changing your IP address to a UK one. Works perfectly for BBC or ITV players.
Their blocking UK based vpns now as well.
have your say