It was revealed this week that Netflix is starting to crack down on proxies that members use to get around the restricted borders put in place by the continental versions of the service.
Due to licensing agreements, different countries have different content, and you can only access programs and films that have been made available in your country.
The four biggest catalogues for Netflix are the Australian, UK, Canadian, and the US carrying between 2000-6000 different titles, but the availability for each program varies by country.
Using a proxy can trick Netflix to thinking you are in a different country, which would bypass the content restrictions. In case you didn’t already know, proxy use is prohibited in the terms and conditions you agree to when you sign up for a contract with Netflix.
Spokesperson Matt Levy stated that “rather than putting barriers up, it’s time to recognise internet is global. Regional copyright deals are as outdated as video cassettes.”
It does seem absurd that a company as technologically advanced as Netflix is still restrained by regional copyright laws and when they pay to show content on their website, it makes sense for it to be available on every international version of Netflix.
Hopefully there won’t be too long of a wait before shows from all over the world can be broadcast in every country without copyright limiting the content we watch.
A spokesperson for Netflix Australia said this week that “as we continue to strive towards licensing content on a global scale, [their] use will become redundant.”
Netflix is thinking forward, and hopefully, we will not have too long to wait!
Author
