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Netflix and Amazon Could Face Content Quotas In Europe (dailymail.co.uk)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the Chateau-de-Cartes dept.

jader3rd quotes an articles from The Daily Mail about a new EU proposal to be published next week: Netflix and Amazon could be forced to make French, German and even Estonian films and TV shows by the EU. The US companies could also be hit with taxes to raise funds to support the work of film-makers in Europe. The proposal is thought to be driven by the French, who are particularly fearful of their cinema and TV programmes being eclipsed by English language productions... One draft says the aims is to create 'a more level playing field in the promotion of European works by obliging on-demand services to reserve at least 20 percent share for European works in their catalogues and to ensure adequate prominence of such works'.
French may become the world's most-spoken language by 2050 (due to its popularity among the fast-growing population of Africa). But even so, should U.S.-based companies be facing "regional quotas" for the content they're offering?

9 of 344 comments (clear)

  1. Barrier to entry by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And what exactly is stopping French/German/Other EU companies from making their own national "Netflix" showing 100% local content? What do you mean no one wants to fucking pay for it? Surely there must be someone stupid enough to pay again for what they get through their local service anyway.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:Barrier to entry by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's not the point. French (and Europeans in general) want to watch American movies/series. Would it be from Netflix or a local provider. But the French government, for the sake of "Cultural exception", and in order to give jobs to many "shows Intermittents" (actors working temporarily on a show) want Netflix to make local movies and TV shows. That's already the case in France, and most of the "local sponsored content" (made by TVs) results usually in a crappy outcome (bad script, bad play...). That's the difference between "You'll get money if your movie is good" and "This is the money, take it and do what you want".

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      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  2. "even playing field" by dnaumov · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You keep using that word, it does not mean what you think it does. In this case, it's actually the total opposite.

    1) People can and do vote with their wallets. Nobody HAS to order Netflix. In any country.

    2) If the stuff french filmmakers produce is not wanted by consumers, well that's too damn bad. Adapt or die.

    1. Re: "even playing field" by dnaumov · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I live in the EU and would very much like for EU bureaucrats to stop fucking up "the market" with their meddling. Calling something "making an even playing field" while in reality advancing the exact total opposite, a protectionist agenda, just takes the fucking cake. Thanks, but no thanks.

  3. Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Since the studios insist the world is divided into regions and are fighting tooth and nail to prevent a free global market when it comes to content it is only fair they are forced to specially cater for those markets... nes't pa?

  4. DONE! "...reserve at least 20per cent share..." by tlambert · · Score: 4, Insightful

    DONE! "...reserve at least 20per cent share..."

    Feel free to get off your asses and fill that reserved-but-currently-empty space with content.

    XOXO
    -- Netflix

  5. Re:How about content providers pull out of Europa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Excellent idea. In fact the world should ban US content, i.e. exclude the USA from 96% of the worlds population.
    And while you are at it, keep your military, your drones, your CIA meddling , your economic bullying and your other "US interests" at home too.

    The EU is already a BIGGER economy than the USA, China is only a few years away from being the 2nd biggest economy.

    Peak USA was the 1950s-1970s since then it has stagnated while the rest of the world has grown.
    Turns out the USA needs the rest of the world more than the rest of the world needs the USA.

  6. Warning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For those of you who don't live in the UK, please be aware, 99% of everything in the Daily Mail is lies. This rises to 99.9% for stories about "Europe". Be ye warned.

  7. Re:How about content providers pull out of Europa by meerling · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Depends on which of the 3 "first computer" you want to count. Two of which were by people in the UK.
    On the other hand, making personal computers available to the masses, that was definitely from the US.

    Of course, getting into a dick waving contest over who made what has pretty much nothing to do with the topic, which in case you've forgotten in your excitement to pull your dick out and start waving it around, is non-european media providers being forced provide and even pay for specific language programming.