It looks like Netflix is starting to take a stand on the modern version of common theft, as it is banning geo-piracy for international subscribers. As part of the clampdown, it is blocking subscribers who are able to access other country’s Netflix illegally through VPNs (virtual private networks), which allows changes to be made for a user’s geo-location.
What does this mean though? It just means, anyone who was doing such a thing, no longer can. So, no more getting the Friends boxset in the UK through Netflix, which is currently only available in America. Netflix issues different streaming libraries to different countries, so, what the UK has might not be available in other European countries. As you can imagine, this is less a gallant effort from Netflix and more an aggressive demand from movie studios, whose licensing agreements turn moot once everything is available to everyone. Plus, entertainment media in other countries that do have access to certain studios’ films are damaged because their would-be customers are already getting their fix with Netflix. There are no winners here, other than the people watching whatever they want, I guess.
Due to legal constraints, films and TV boxsets aren’t issued out worldwide via Netflix. Sadly, it causes issues like these where people are changing their Internet location, side-stepping any issues and getting around the problem at hand. Still though, we can all get the Netflix Originals, and thats the main reason I watch Netflix anyway!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JoHXAqSnD5g&list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F
Originally published January 5, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
