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It sure is how it feels. Facebook trending: look at this awesome SNL clip the world is laughing and talking about! Click on it, oh sorry, you can't watch this i

It sure is how it feels. Facebook trending: look at this awesome SNL clip the world is laughing and talking about! Click on it, oh sorry, you can't watch this in Canada, but hey, the rest of the world that matters can(read: the US), so yeah, good bye. Any content provider that blocks you out based on your location makes you feel discriminated against and it sucks! I like how Netflix says that we are very vocal, but minor and 'inconsequential'. Well yeah, fuck you too!

rchaud 10y ago
I don't agree that that's the case. To me, region-restrictions for US content (the most popular worldwide) present a massive opportunity for content creators not based in the US to make something that is in fact truly globally available. While it's true that US TV and movies have been globally popular since the time of their invention, the rise of YouTube, Vine, Instagram etc. show that global audiences can be developed without needing to be US centric. Your comment "this awesome clip the world is laughing and talking about" refers to SNL, but there are examples of viral videos that didn't originate from a big-name US studio. "Charlie bit my finger" and "Gangnam Style" are two examples. I don't think it's too much of a stretch that English-language long-form content (30-60 minute series) can be developed without having a "Made in America" imprimatur on it. Danish crime shows are popular in Europe and the UK, while Korean dramas are extremely popular in East Asian markets. Indian cinema is also popular in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. A small slice of British shows like Made in Chelsea have carved out a niche in English-speaking markets like the US, Canada and Australia. I hope production studios large and small across the world are seeing this as an opportunity to expand past their borders rather than simply continue "Business as usual" under the protectionism offered with these types of restrictive licensing rules.
- Grishnakh 10y ago
  That's a pretty good point there about non-US studios taking this golden opportunity to expand their worldwide sales since the US studios are happily shooting themselves in the foot.
- CosmicShadow 10y ago
  I never said it wasn't a great opportunity for non-US content creators, I love shows from all over, I'm just saying it feels racist when the country next door won't share with me (or others) their content. Do I understand why they won't yes, but it's frustrating none-the-less and I imagine most people don't understand it. And it's not like they can stop me from viewing what I want, it's just incredibly aggravating when a simple hyperlink fails and requires a multi-step, lengthy process, especially for things ranging from a 30 second clip from goddamn syndicated TV I can get with basic cable (which I no longer have) to premium talk of the town shows. In short, I'm kind of confused with why you don't agree and then talk about a completely different subject. Yes, good opportunity, but that doesn't stop the feelings for existing content that is also good, unless you consider it irrelevant, which you might, but I still like some premium US based stuff. Geo-blocking, at least to me, and I'm sure many others, feels like discrimination. Not all have to feel that way for it to be true.

rchaud 10y ago

I don't agree that that's the case. To me, region-restrictions for US content (the most popular worldwide) present a massive opportunity for content creators not based in the US to make something that is in fact truly globally available. While it's true that US TV and movies have been globally popular since the time of their invention, the rise of YouTube, Vine, Instagram etc. show that global audiences can be developed without needing to be US centric. Your comment "this awesome clip the world is laughing and talking about" refers to SNL, but there are examples of viral videos that didn't originate from a big-name US studio. "Charlie bit my finger" and "Gangnam Style" are two examples. I don't think it's too much of a stretch that English-language long-form content (30-60 minute series) can be developed without having a "Made in America" imprimatur on it. Danish crime shows are popular in Europe and the UK, while Korean dramas are extremely popular in East Asian markets. Indian cinema is also popular in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. A small slice of British shows like Made in Chelsea have carved out a niche in English-speaking markets like the US, Canada and Australia. I hope production studios large and small across the world are seeing this as an opportunity to expand past their borders rather than simply continue "Business as usual" under the protectionism offered with these types of restrictive licensing rules.

Grishnakh 10y ago
That's a pretty good point there about non-US studios taking this golden opportunity to expand their worldwide sales since the US studios are happily shooting themselves in the foot.
CosmicShadow 10y ago
I never said it wasn't a great opportunity for non-US content creators, I love shows from all over, I'm just saying it feels racist when the country next door won't share with me (or others) their content. Do I understand why they won't yes, but it's frustrating none-the-less and I imagine most people don't understand it. And it's not like they can stop me from viewing what I want, it's just incredibly aggravating when a simple hyperlink fails and requires a multi-step, lengthy process, especially for things ranging from a 30 second clip from goddamn syndicated TV I can get with basic cable (which I no longer have) to premium talk of the town shows. In short, I'm kind of confused with why you don't agree and then talk about a completely different subject. Yes, good opportunity, but that doesn't stop the feelings for existing content that is also good, unless you consider it irrelevant, which you might, but I still like some premium US based stuff. Geo-blocking, at least to me, and I'm sure many others, feels like discrimination. Not all have to feel that way for it to be true.