4 ms·

Why do media companies block entire countries? Selling an apple to someone in Ireland is the same profit as selling to an American, yes?

swozey 11y ago
No, in different countries different publishers own (the same) content. They have to license the media from the country-specific publishers. I don't know the logic as to why Netflix published content isn't available worldwide, though. Maybe they have non-competes or something.
- rhino369 11y ago
  Netflix doesn't own all of its Netflix published content. Sony owns House of Cards. Lionsgate owns Orange is the New Black. Netflix's early tv productions deals were similar to how regular TV purchased content. You custom order the show, but you only get "first run" rights. The production company keeps the rights to international markets and even re-run rights. In the USA, you can buy House of Cards episodes from Comcast and Netflix doesn't get a penny for it. This is unlike, say HBO, which owns control control of the content they create.
golergka 11y ago
Because media companies didn't pay for these apples in Ireland to being with. The original authors of content sold these apples to Netflix to sell in America, but sold it to other local companies in Ireland, because these other local companies offered them a better deal than Netflix. By not detecting proxies, Netflix essentially sold something they didn't purchase in the first place.
moftz 11y ago
Studios may already have setup distribution rights to other media companies in those countries. Universal Studios may give Netflix the Indiana Jones series for the US but Universal already has a distribution agreement with Company X in the UK for those films. They can't give Netflix UK the rights to distribute because there is probably a contract term that says Universal won't undermine Company X's distribution rights. Thus, Universal Studios has a contract term with Netflix US to block any other countries from watching those films otherwise someone is going to get in trouble. Universal Studios would need negotiate a new contract with Company X and take away their exclusive rights and give Netflix UK digital rights.
cookiecaper 11y ago
It's primarily because of differences in copyright ownership and law.
- izacus 11y ago
  EU has harmonized copyright law so that's a rather poor excuse :/

swozey 11y ago

No, in different countries different publishers own (the same) content. They have to license the media from the country-specific publishers. I don't know the logic as to why Netflix published content isn't available worldwide, though. Maybe they have non-competes or something.

rhino369 11y ago
Netflix doesn't own all of its Netflix published content. Sony owns House of Cards. Lionsgate owns Orange is the New Black. Netflix's early tv productions deals were similar to how regular TV purchased content. You custom order the show, but you only get "first run" rights. The production company keeps the rights to international markets and even re-run rights. In the USA, you can buy House of Cards episodes from Comcast and Netflix doesn't get a penny for it. This is unlike, say HBO, which owns control control of the content they create.

golergka 11y ago

Because media companies didn't pay for these apples in Ireland to being with. The original authors of content sold these apples to Netflix to sell in America, but sold it to other local companies in Ireland, because these other local companies offered them a better deal than Netflix. By not detecting proxies, Netflix essentially sold something they didn't purchase in the first place.

moftz 11y ago

Studios may already have setup distribution rights to other media companies in those countries. Universal Studios may give Netflix the Indiana Jones series for the US but Universal already has a distribution agreement with Company X in the UK for those films. They can't give Netflix UK the rights to distribute because there is probably a contract term that says Universal won't undermine Company X's distribution rights. Thus, Universal Studios has a contract term with Netflix US to block any other countries from watching those films otherwise someone is going to get in trouble. Universal Studios would need negotiate a new contract with Company X and take away their exclusive rights and give Netflix UK digital rights.

cookiecaper 11y ago

It's primarily because of differences in copyright ownership and law.

izacus 11y ago
EU has harmonized copyright law so that's a rather poor excuse :/