EU Lawmakers Include Spotify and iTunes In Geoblocking Ban (reuters.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: European Union lawmakers voted on Tuesday to ban online retailers from treating consumers differently depending on where they live and expanded their proposed law to include music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple's iTunes. Ending so-called geoblocking is a priority for the European Commission as it tries to create a single market for digital services across the 28-nation bloc, but many industries argue that they tailor their prices to specific domestic markets. The proposal, which will apply to e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Zalando and eBay, as well as for services provided in a specific location like car rental, forbids online retailers from automatically re-routing customers to their domestic website without their consent. In a blow for the book publishing and music industries, European Parliament members voted to include copyright-protected content such as music, games, software and e-books in the law. That would mean music streaming services such as Spotify and iTunes would not be able to prevent, for example, a French customer buying a cheaper subscription in Croatia, if they have the required rights.

Comments

Maximize profits

[DidgetMaster]

The holy grail for anyone selling anything, is the ability to charge the customer, not based on the value of the product or service, but rather on the customer's ability to pay. In the old days, this was accomplished by creating barriers for the movement of goods and services. A drug company could charge someone in rural Mexico a completely different price for a pill than they could charge someone in New York City because is was very hard for the more affluent customer to realize that it was available elsewhere for cheaper. Some goes for DVDs, books, software, and just about everything else. Now with the internet, anyone can order just about anything from anywhere. Those artificial market barriers have been broken down. This threatens the profit margins of many companies.

Re:Maximize profits

[Baron_Yam]

I have to admit, the first time I ordered something direct from China I was a bit worried I'd never see a product and the bank would call me about fraudulent activity on my card.

No such worries now. When I'm getting the same product (literally) direct from the factory in China instead of having it go through a local retailer, I pay less than 1/3 the price. Not even Wal-Mart seems able to compete, given the last price comparison I did had them demanding 5x what an AliExpress vendor was selling a comparable product for.

Canada lost some wealth and China gained some, and in the meantime I get to live as if I were a bit wealthier than I am.

Lowering trade barriers globally allows the common consumer some of the same freedom the 1% have had to themselves until now - purchasing what they want from where they want and screw national borders.

In the long run, this will result in equalization of standard of living around the globe - so long as we have the same social support systems and the same expectations of our local governments. But with wealth will come education and power, at least to some degree, and we'll see social standards equalize as well. Since we're all human, I don't really have a problem with leveling the playing field, so long as it happens slowly enough it doesn't disrupt my life on noticeable timescales.

Re:Maximize profits

[Baron_Yam]

If I'm going to spend extra just to keep money in the country, I'd rather it be taxed from me and redistributed as welfare rather than charged as a premium on products handled by a make-work project.

With welfare you're not enriching the already-rich at the top of the corporate structure, so you're giving much more efficiently to the people who need it.

Re:Maximize profits

[AmiMoJo]

Cheap products from China has worked well in Japan. The "one price" shops (like dollar stores) are really good quality. The Japanese companies compete by innovating like crazy in every area. Better quality, new styles, better service, new features, new brands, new ideas. It's exciting.

That's what we need to do. Forget protectionism. Compete and win. Distance is still a factor, especially for service and ability to react to local market conditions like fashion.

Re:Good or bad for customers?

[Anonymous Coward]

Or perhaps the real market price will be found? The EU is working being a common market, where it started. Income and opportunities equally paid across the block.
Imagine Amazon selling a product in California at higher prices just because we manage our economy better than Alabama? People in Alabama should ascribe and work to a better life like a Californian.

Re:here in the USofA

[Anonymous Coward]

So mindful. California makes fuel. Exporting it someplace else adds costs. Sending it to Hawaii adds cost that California does not have. Beside USofA? You Sof Ah; retard.
The price of fuel in the Antarctic is high too. Transport and storage costs. Getting a few pounds of fuel in orbit to keep a satellite in place is quite pricey.
Music, putting it on a wire and downloading it in Croatia or Norway from the same server in France really doesn't add to the delivery cost; the end user pays for his data rate. So before you add your foolish comments stop, detail why it should cost more or less in one location. Then speak of it as the reason the prices should not be equal.

Good

[sexconker]

This is what happens when you to to exploit the "global economy". It bites back.

Why would anyone pay the sucker price when they can walk across the street and get the same exact thing for much less?
A game, movie, song, etc. isn't worth more based on where it's sold. I'm sick of paying full price for such things while people in Asia and Russia pay pennies on the dollar. (Though I'm glad I'm paying tons more like people in Australia and South America are.) If you can sell the game to millions in China/Russia/etc. for X, I'm going to seek to pay no more than X as well.

I mean, what's the worst that can happen to me? You region lock your shit? I'll just crack it or use a VPN. You jack up the prices in Russia/wherever? You're not going to jack them up past the US price, so it's still a net win for me.