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Australia: VPN Users Aren't Breaching Copyright (abc.net.au)
Slashdot reader Zanadou writes: The Australian Government Productivity Commission in a draft report recommended that Australian consumers should be able to legally circumvent geoblocking restrictions that have prevented them from using foreign online streaming services like Netflix, and that the Australian Government needs to send a clear message that it is not an infringement of copyright for consumers to be able evade geoblocking technology. Karen Chester, a commissioner with the Productivity Commission, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that geoblocking restrictions have the opposite effect of encouraging internet piracy. "Making copyright material more accessible and more competitively priced online, and not geoblocking, is the best antidote to copyright infringement."
In probably related news, Australia topped the list of countries who illegally downloaded the Game Of Thrones season six premiere, this week.
In January Netflix's chief product officer admitted that the company has no magic solution to subscribers who use VPNs to circumvent geoblocking.
In probably related news, Australia topped the list of countries who illegally downloaded the Game Of Thrones season six premiere, this week.
In January Netflix's chief product officer admitted that the company has no magic solution to subscribers who use VPNs to circumvent geoblocking.
I can buy and import any (legal) physical product: Books, CDs, DVDs, Clothes, Shoes, Cars, computers, software, etc etc etc etc. Just because its a digital file rather than a physical item they want different rules ?, Why ? The ONLY reason for this is to reduce competition and increase prices. If I pay for it, I am entitled to it, legally.
What treaty precisely hmmm? Australia is a soverign nation and we will make our own gorram civil laws thankyou very much. We have strong consumer protection laws, unlike the dsytopian hellhole where I assume you reside. One such law is the restrictive trade practices act. Restrictions on who trades with who are not permitted and it has far reaching implications in terms of preventing monopolistic and predatory retail practices. For example it prevents restricting franchisee holders from being compelled to source from a restricted list of 3rd parties. Geolocking is arguably a violation of this law and I would personally hope that this law will generally override any attempts to justify such practices under guise of copyright, though I imagine that is for lawyers and judges to sort out on a case by case basis.
Youre just jealous you cant live there, instead of whatever squalid shithole you come from, just like 99% of the planet.
Fucking peasant. Get back in the factory and make me another frying pan.
G'Day, Australia here. I never claimed that I'd recognise region blocking as a component of copyright law - and my local laws are already quite clear on that fact. So long as my citizens are accessing the content in a manner that's legal in the region it was released, then that's fine with me.
Speaking as a nation of course, I don't have a lot of patience for anyone who refuses to sell something here, then complains about my citizens buying that content somewhere else. I've even less patience for anyone who tries to stop my citizens buying their product, then complains about it being stolen!
Sincerely Yours,
The Sovereign Nation of Australia
I think it's more a message to content producers to stop dropping the ball and start releasing your content in all markets, rather than hiding behind geo-blocking as a way to delay releasing it in markets where it's "inconvenient" or "doesn't fit with your profit-maximizing release schedule." If you want to implement different pricing in different markets, then sure go ahead. But don't stupidly withhold content from certain markets while the Internet is abuzz with talk about what happened in the latest episode, then come to the country's government complaining that people in that country are pirating the show.
If those Australian show producers don't want to bother with separate releases in the U.S., then just allow people in the U.S. to subscribe to them online as if they were in Australia. Or if they are contracted with a U.S. affiliate to release those shows, then pressure those affiliates to release them in a timely manner. (And vice versa for shows from other countries in Australia of course.)