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Netflix Cracks Down On VPN and Proxy "Pirates"

Posted by Soulskill on from the why-people-hate-the-content-industry dept.

An anonymous reader sends this unfortunate report from TorrentFreak: Due to complicated licensing agreements Netflix is only available in a few dozen countries, all of which have a different content library. Some people bypass these content and access restrictions by using VPNs or other circumvention tools that change their geographical location. This makes it easy for people all around the world to pay for access to the U.S. version of Netflix, for example. The movie studios are not happy with these deviant subscribers as it hurts their licensing agreements. ... Over the past weeks Netflix has started to take action against people who use certain circumvention tools. The Android application started to force Google DNS which now makes it harder to use DNS based location unblockers, and several VPN IP-ranges were targeted as well.

24 of 437 comments (clear)

  1. Cat and mouse... by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Netflix is obligated to do this to maintain its licensing agreements with the Media Mafia. But it will always be a "cat and mouse" game...

    Why is Torrent Freak's logo hot pink?

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    1. Re:Cat and mouse... by QuasiSteve · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It might always be a cat and mouse game - but there's a relatively simple way to make it a lot harder for the mice; tie content to the address used for payments, rather than tying it to IP geolocation.

      DNS trickery, proxies, VPN, etc. are all very easy to set up, technologically. Try opening a U.S. bank account tied to a U.S. address as somebody who is not a U.S. resident. Good luck.
      Even if you manage to do so - at least you're now 'stuck' with the U.S. library. No vast French movie library for French subscribers, Belgian TV series for Belgian subscribers, etc. Admittedly, that may have been the primary goal for subscribers all along, but it's worth noting that there's no more library-hopping either which way.

      o/t re: pink - hasn't it been pink for a very, very long time?

    2. Re:Cat and mouse... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      In a world where humans have cast off the shackles of physical bodies... err... media (sorry, movie trailer authoring mode kicked in for a minute there)

      Are your Delete and Backspace buttons broken?

    3. Re:Cat and mouse... by Scarletdown · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Netflix is obligated to do this to maintain its licensing agreements with the Media Mafia.

      Yeah, I understand that. What I don't understand is why the big media conglomerates put such baffling restrictions into their licenses in the first place.

      Do sociopaths need a reason other than the desire for control?

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      This space unintentionally left blank.
    4. Re:Cat and mouse... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Opening a US bank account etc. I agree, it's too much work for something that I can get for free anyway and just wanted to pay for because I liked the show enough that I though the authors deserved payment. OK, back to torrents.

    5. Re:Cat and mouse... by jamstar7 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's all about the cash. Different markets have different rates because they can/can't afford a single worldwide rate. Somebody making 2, 3 dollars a day (I'm looking at YOU, Pakistan!!) can't afford to pay American rates for content. Licensing agreements are designed to maximise profits.

      --
      Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
    6. Re:Cat and mouse... by grcumb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What I don't understand is why the big media conglomerates put such baffling restrictions into their licenses in the first place.

      Do sociopaths need a reason other than the desire for control?

      Well, purportedly, the reason for this is to ensure profits, but that doesn't compute. Even a business undergrad could tell you that with a little rationalisation in the business space, it would be possible for Hollywood to extend their control and improve their profits in the process. Somehow, though, the ridiculously hidebound distribution chain is successfully working against an improved industry. There are enough people with a vested interest in keeping things the way they were (the way things are is... obviously different) that they can cut off their proverbial face to spite their nose. Yes it's that illogical.

      I'm really surprised that, even with over a decade to adjust, most media companies have yet to do so. Even telcos, the other digital industry we love to hate, have learned significant lessons and are in the process of taming a frontier they initially ignored. But media - their collective consciousness defies even a modicum of logic.

      --
      Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
    7. Re:Cat and mouse... by Imrik · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Netflix is obligated to give the appearance of enforcing its licensing agreements, it doesn't have to try to succeed.

    8. Re:Cat and mouse... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There is a vast difference between xenophobia and supporting your countries creative community.

    9. Re: Cat and mouse... by Firethorn · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Keep in mind that this would also mean that when military members are deployed to various locations around the world that you're restricting them to the content offered there.

      It translates to my netflix account being almost useless outside of the country.

      --
      I don't read AC A human right
    10. Re:Cat and mouse... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's all about the cash. Different markets have different rates because they can/can't afford a single worldwide rate. Somebody making 2, 3 dollars a day (I'm looking at YOU, Pakistan!!) can't afford to pay American rates for content. Licensing agreements are designed to maximise profits.

      So what is the issue with someone in Pakistan paying full US price for Netflix? Because that is what Netflix seems to be cracking down on here if the story is true.

    11. Re:Cat and mouse... by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Why can't the local creative community sell its own material based on its own merit instead of being forced upon you? That's like going to a movie theater, asking for a lemon-lime soda, and being told that they don't sell any, so if you want one tough shit, either buy something else or go home because you aren't allowed to bring your own either.

  2. encouraging piracy by bloodhawk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I use a smart DNS service in Australia to get my Netflix access. If they do end up blocking it (currently still works fine), I will just go back to pirating my content. I am happy to pay reasonable services a reasonable rate for the content I consume, but be fucked if I will accept being forced to pay for the overpriced poor content supplied locally in Australia.

    1. Re:encouraging piracy by whoever57 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Australia has 'parallel import' laws which make it legal to bypass country wide restrictions used by corporations, so they cant legally stop us.

      Enjoy those laws while you have them. Coming soon in a "Free Trade" pact: elimination of those laws.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  3. This is a foolish business decision. by urbanriot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a Canadian I know all too well how many people are using services to access American Netflix content that far surpasses the Canadian content in terms quality and quantity (or at least greater quantity of what people want). I expect the majority of my friends that are using these services to access American Netflix will cancel the service outright if they can no longer access it and furthermore, they'll stop suggesting Netflix as a viable option to cable / satellite.

    1. Re:This is a foolish business decision. by wvmarle · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If Netflix is not doing it, they risk losing all their content - and with it their whole business. It's not foolish from their pov, it's just what they have to do to keep their business alive.

    2. Re:This is a foolish business decision. by silviuc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The thing is that the MAFIAA does not care. Are these decisions hurting NETFLIX? Good. The MAFIAA hates the internet and streaming services. I saw an article not too long ago in which they were evaluating the impact of Google Fiber speeds on piracy and they were scared shitless. Any sane people would recognize that as a new market to fill. For fucks sake, they now have proper bandwidth lets give them content and make money, but not the MAFIAA, nope.

      They are greedy and stupid, really stupid. Just read the other day how "The Interview" made $ 15M from online sales/rentals vs. $ 3M from theatre screenings. Of course they could've made even more but the release was US only, so people took to known torrent sites and downloaded it gratis and DRM-free from there.

      I don't think these ass-hats will ever learn and they will do everything in their power to stifle progress and technology. They did it before and will continue to do it instead of working with tech companies.

  4. suggested by Netflix by oobayly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I use unblock-us, as suggested by a friend who in turn was directed to it by Netflix staff. The stupid thing is that I would be willing to pay Netflix an extra $5 a month to view [US only] programmes, which would in turn go to Hollywood. Instead I'm giving the money to a completely separate entity. It's another case of "I'm throwing money at my monitor, why won't you take it"

    1. Re:suggested by Netflix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's another case of "I'm throwing money at my monitor, why won't you take it"

      Because the MAFIAA's are stupid? Holy shit they are stupid. Like brain-damaged Reavers infected by a stupidity virus.

  5. proxy pirates? by hawguy · · Score: 1, Insightful

    People willing to go through ridiculous hoops and pay extra money in order to view content they are paying for are pirates?

  6. Torrents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That's why God made Bittorrent

  7. Re:Seriously... by dk20 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just wish consumers would be able to take advantage of "global markets" the same way the large multinationals can.

    They are free to export their jobs to the cheapest source, but thanks to copyright laws and "region restrictions" we (the consumer) cant re-import products where they are cheaper.

    Real dvd's (not bootlegs) sell for like a dollar in China and $29 here. Why cant i import them and sell them for $10 and make a tidy profit?

    First-sale doctrine says i can, lawsuits says you cant.

  8. Re:Well will see what happens when I get home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And what if your provider decides to cut off your internet access for violating their TOS?

    Uh, heard of torrenting via VPN? No ISP can track that. So, that's moot.

    And if you never cared about morality in the first place, why did you ever bother subscribing to Netflix instead of just torrenting the content the whole time?

    Morality doesn't enter into it. Netflix actually provides a service worth paying for: a curated library with recommendations that are reasonably accurate, playback that begins instantly, direct hardware playback integration, no hassle of trying to determine which torrents for a specific title are quality vs shit, and a reasonable price.

    If Netflix or Amazon Prime don't have it, then I torrent it. Hell, I'll even torrent titles that I own the Blu-Ray for because pirated videos don't have the fucking retarded concept of User-Prohibited Operations... according to the studio execs, I paid for the privilege to not be able to skip previews. Hell, even in the VCR days I could fast forward, but no more.

    It's as the pirates have always said: make the product worth paying for and people will. I certainly do. *Definitely* don't make the paid version less useful or enjoyable than the pirated version.

  9. Re:Seriously... by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Their distribution model is pretty ridiculous. These people are trying like hell to pay for content that they want to watch. It would be easier and cheaper to just pirate the content but they want to pay and the media companies refuse to sell their product. They trick the media companies into being paid for their product and the media companies block them. It's absurd. Ridiculous. Asinine.