EEC Report on Geo Blocking the Likes of iplayer due today.
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montgolfiere
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EEC Report on Geo Blocking the Likes of iplayer due today.
EEC reporting today on the Geo-Blocking of 'entertainment content' within the 28 Member Countries. It is likely that the report will reccomend that Geo Blocking ceases within the EEC. This would be an excellent result for the ExPats of all Countries to access entertainment from their own countries all around Euope.
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martyn94
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Implemented, I guess, just in time for "Bake Off" season 17. If that is to be regarded as "entertainment content".
But I suspect that it's not of much interest to anyone but us (and people trying to improve their English). My free bouquet of channels from Free already gives me FTA channels from Poland, Italy etc, but I don't suppose that the people who own the IP in their material very much care if it's seen outside Poland or Italy. English-language transmissions of material originally made in English is likely to provoke much more resistance.
I suppose they will have some response to what I have always understood to be quite genuine issues about the limited geographical extent of, eg the BBC's rights to broadcast third-party material. In any event, no footie or cricket or F1 or Wimbledon, even to the limited extent that anyone will be getting that for free in future even in the UK.
But I suspect that it's not of much interest to anyone but us (and people trying to improve their English). My free bouquet of channels from Free already gives me FTA channels from Poland, Italy etc, but I don't suppose that the people who own the IP in their material very much care if it's seen outside Poland or Italy. English-language transmissions of material originally made in English is likely to provoke much more resistance.
I suppose they will have some response to what I have always understood to be quite genuine issues about the limited geographical extent of, eg the BBC's rights to broadcast third-party material. In any event, no footie or cricket or F1 or Wimbledon, even to the limited extent that anyone will be getting that for free in future even in the UK.
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russell
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martyn94
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A little googling suggests that it is only about allowing people to use services when abroad that they are already entitled to use in their home country (eg by signing up to UK Netflix, or by paying the UK TV licence fee). I can see that this could be useful to many of us here, but it would be useless to many others, including me.russell wrote:hmm. . . would it mean that "Europe" has to buy the rights to something like F1 rather than each individual country? I can't see Mr. Ecclestone being happy if the BBC buys the rights and then it is made freely available throughout Europe.
Russell.
On that basis, the implications for rights to IP are no doubt very much reduced, though no doubt there will still be a fuss, if it goes anywhere.
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neil mitchell
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montgolfiere
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The Little Englander Isolationist Mentality is beyond me too. We are rapidly sliding back into the thinking of the 1930's ....neil mitchell wrote:Isn't it all just a nonsense. It really captures the UK attitude to Europe. How can any country which claims to be "at the heart of Europe" block it's TV output. I despair, I really do.
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neil mitchell
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martyn94
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[quote="neil mitchell"]"Fog in the channel, Europe cut off"[/quote
All this seems a bit overwrought to me. The BBC has excellent legal reasons not to go beyond the rights that they actually own, and excellent financial and political reasons not to spend money to do so. If they have product that is significantly appealing in Europe (otherwise than to expats wanting their fix of Eastenders), they can make money (which God knows they need) selling the product or the "format" to local broadcasters.
They tried a paid-for iplayer service for users outside the UK: it was a total lemon - predictably enough - and quietly scrapped. I can imagine that, over time, rights-owners will be prepared to be more flexible if they are paid enough, and we are ready to pay for that. But to believe, in the meantime, that our very minor and parochial inconveniences are some sort of "state of the nation" issue seems a bit exaggerated.
All this seems a bit overwrought to me. The BBC has excellent legal reasons not to go beyond the rights that they actually own, and excellent financial and political reasons not to spend money to do so. If they have product that is significantly appealing in Europe (otherwise than to expats wanting their fix of Eastenders), they can make money (which God knows they need) selling the product or the "format" to local broadcasters.
They tried a paid-for iplayer service for users outside the UK: it was a total lemon - predictably enough - and quietly scrapped. I can imagine that, over time, rights-owners will be prepared to be more flexible if they are paid enough, and we are ready to pay for that. But to believe, in the meantime, that our very minor and parochial inconveniences are some sort of "state of the nation" issue seems a bit exaggerated.
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neil mitchell
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Santiago
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As Martyn says, the reason BBC and ITV players are blocked in other EU countries is not because of some British island-mentality. It's because the UK TV companies have already sold their programs to various EU broadcasters with a contract that protects the broadcasting exclusivity of those programs. It works both ways.
"Les Revenants" was only available through Canal+ subscription in France but BBC bought it and we could then watch it free via BBC iPlayer.
So breaking the geo-blocking will lead to less subscription money as a whole for the production companies. They will want to keep up their revenues so other means of restricting channels will occur. I can see BBC IPlayer being blocked unless you have a username and password linked to a UK TV licence.
"Les Revenants" was only available through Canal+ subscription in France but BBC bought it and we could then watch it free via BBC iPlayer.
So breaking the geo-blocking will lead to less subscription money as a whole for the production companies. They will want to keep up their revenues so other means of restricting channels will occur. I can see BBC IPlayer being blocked unless you have a username and password linked to a UK TV licence.
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Helen
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It's because the UK TV companies have already sold their programs to various EU broadcasters with a contract that protects the broadcasting exclusivity of those programs. It works both ways.
That's certainly one reason, but there are other factors at work too.
Music - unless a buyout is done with an original piece of music, the likelihood is that the broadcaster or writer is restricted by the music collecting societies to UK use only - with further payment due for exploitation beyond the UK
Actors - in the case of drama, the likelihood is that the producer ( and therefore the broadcaster they're making for) is subject to the terms of an equity contract. This can limit the number of UK transmissions, the duration of the catch-up window, and the territory within which the programme can be broadcast.
Writers and directors may well have similar contracts. And then there are copyright considerations based on territorial use!
The rights around tv programmes are a veritable maze! As someone who used to work within these various constraints for a time, I 'm watching with interest to see how Europe decides to tackle them.
Little surprise that the first step appears to be the portability of user access whilst on temporary visits to other territories, rather than a Europe-wide free-for-all
That's certainly one reason, but there are other factors at work too.
Music - unless a buyout is done with an original piece of music, the likelihood is that the broadcaster or writer is restricted by the music collecting societies to UK use only - with further payment due for exploitation beyond the UK
Actors - in the case of drama, the likelihood is that the producer ( and therefore the broadcaster they're making for) is subject to the terms of an equity contract. This can limit the number of UK transmissions, the duration of the catch-up window, and the territory within which the programme can be broadcast.
Writers and directors may well have similar contracts. And then there are copyright considerations based on territorial use!
The rights around tv programmes are a veritable maze! As someone who used to work within these various constraints for a time, I 'm watching with interest to see how Europe decides to tackle them.
Little surprise that the first step appears to be the portability of user access whilst on temporary visits to other territories, rather than a Europe-wide free-for-all