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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

In mid-January, Netflix announced [phys.org] a ban [wired.com] on the use of proxies, unblockers and virtual private networks (VPNs) – all technical work-arounds to view movies and TV programs unavailable in the subscriber's country. This announcement coincided with the company's global service launch into more than 130 new markets.

With the new ban in place, Australian subscribers will no longer be able to watch U.S. shows until they become available Down Under. Likewise, U.S. subscribers who are addicted to British shows will have to wait for those shows to come stateside.

The content providers' desire [cnet.com] for this ban is easy to understand. If Australian fans have already watched a U.S. show via Netflix, who will tune in when the show finally arrives in Australia?

Thus far, movie studios and TV producers have repeatedly criticized [pcworld.com] Netflix for turning a blind eye to unlicensed viewing. Had the company continued to ignore geographical licensing restrictions, some of these providers might have eventually pulled their content from the service.

Nevertheless, the recently announced ban is unlikely to provide a long-term cure to the content providers' chronic headaches. The problem lies not with Netflix, but with the unmet consumer demand in foreign markets. If we are to successfully address this problem, more comprehensive copyright reform will be needed.

Not news to Soylentils, but good to see wider recognition that it won't work.

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