UK Gov Says Password Sharing on Streaming Services is Illegal

manic111 said:
Secondly, as to geo blocking, I largely agree that content should be released everywhere at the same time. But I've seen numerous examples - far more than you'd think - of this not being in the hands of the streaming platform, usually because a particular show has rights issues in a certain jurisdiction.
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Not even numerous examples - this is the entirety of the issue. Remember the film and TV industry is old and was built around firstly cinemas and then home VHS. The business model is entrenched in regional deals, distribution rights, etc.

The BBC sell (license really) content to Netflix and Netflix sell content to the BBC, it's messy and you can't just click a button that says share all. Huge business deals and legal agreements involved.
 
LuckyBenski said:
Not even numerous examples - this is the entirety of the issue. Remember the film and TV industry is old and was built around firstly cinemas and then home VHS. The business model is entrenched in regional deals, distribution rights, etc.

The BBC sell (license really) content to Netflix and Netflix sell content to the BBC, it's messy and you can't just click a button that says share all. Huge business deals and legal agreements involved.
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As someone who's spent a not insignificant amount of his career arguing about these agreements, I know (and agree!).
 
Locking accounts to location/IP means that every time I travel I'll have to verify it's me to use the service I pay.

That would quickly get old and I would revert back to getting [insert streaming service] a month or two a year to binge watch the shows I really care about.

I do share my accounts with friends and family, however if that became impossible most of my friends/family would not create their own account as they can't justify the cost, which I imagine is the case for loads of people. I used to subscribe a month or couple a year to each service, and I imagine most people will do the same which will reduce revenues.

The whole USP is convenience and low price. They've already taken away the 'low price' aspect with the increases plus how many services exist, now they are thinking about taking away the convenience? It'll be a self inflicted wound I think.
 
manic111 said:
Firstly, they are a hugely successful company which to some extent single handedly revolutionised online distribution. They are intelligent people, who will have thought about all the proposals people make. They have decided that their way is the best way for their business, and are within their rights to do so. If people don't like it, the answer is not to use the service. It's not to steal content.

Secondly, as to geo blocking, I largely agree that content should be released everywhere at the same time. But I've seen numerous examples - far more than you'd think - of this not being in the hands of the streaming platform, usually because a particular show has rights issues in a certain jurisdiction.
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On your first point I agree. I've never watched Netflix as I use Amazon Prime because I use Amazon a lot. But I think the average person will go back to stealing content. I'm not sure if you know, as its been quite a long time since I've seen this, but friends, or friends of friends, would visit peoples houses with lists of films, tv shows, music, and sometimes games, on printed paper and charge a small fee and you could pick what you wanted. Piracy will always be around, especially these days as people generally, in my observations, have less shame about cheating the system.

I agree about your second point too. I understand the selling of particular shows for different prices in different regions. Though its an old system and I think needs to change. But I'm sure for it to change it would require a different entire system to be created.

Though I can't blame someone who wants to watch a show from another country that isn't available here.
 
I have my Netflix account logged onto my parents TV in London.

It says I can be watching up to three screens at the same time, I'm not sure the definition of your family/household????

I guess what I'm doing is probably against this,but if I started getting any jip over it I'd just sack Netflix off completely then they would get nothing.

I can't see Netflix trying to criminally prosecute individuals, maybe they will but the reputational damage that would follow would be the end of them, people are already getting hacked off about price rises.
 
Yeh I travel a lot and log onto Netflix from multiple countries within a small time frame. This is while my family remain at home. We could 100% justify this usage but I don't even believe they will check.
 
Rolled out in Canada, NZ, Portugal and Spain now: https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-netflixs-password-sharing-crackdown-begins-121557582.html

Netflix's position - essentially adding 50% to the cost of the membership for up to two extra users - seems really reasonable if you're splitting the cost three ways.

I'm still not particularly sure how enforcement of this is going to work in practice - if I go on holiday or to my parents' and log in on another TV, does that cause a problem? Or is it only simultaneous use (which can still be gamed)?
 
manic111 said:
I'm still not particularly sure how enforcement of this is going to work in practice - if I go on holiday or to my parents' and log in on another TV, does that cause a problem? Or is it only simultaneous use (which can still be gamed)?
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Well this is the point isn't it.

It says you can watch up the three accounts or whatever (depending on package) so does mean the same household, is that physical location? As you say, what if YOU are at another physical location.

It's all BS, plus I can't see them ever proving anything to the point where they could even attempt a criminal prosecution.

I think worst case Netflix might suspend the account in which case, see ya Netflix now you are not making any money at all.
 
BUDFORCE said:
Well this is the point isn't it.

It says you can watch up the three accounts or whatever (depending on package) so does mean the same household, is that physical location? As you say, what if YOU are at another physical location.

It's all BS, plus I can't see them ever proving anything to the point where they could even attempt a criminal prosecution.

I think worst case Netflix might suspend the account in which case, see ya Netflix now you are not making any money at all.
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They're not going to prosecute someone criminally for £8 a month. As you say, they will suspend accounts.

You say that they "won't be making any money at all", but let's imagine that half of the current 100 million shared accounts agree to pay the extra fee (which looks to be between £3.50 and £8 - call it an average of £5). That's immediately an extra £250m revenue per month. It'll be interesting to see what the other half of members do - whether they leave Netflix entirely - but that seems unlikely. It'll also be interesting to see whether piracy increases significantly with respect to Netflix shows.

I think the key point is that the streaming model - while better than piracy - is not especially effective in its current form, which is hardly surprising when you consider the number of high quality content being produced and licensed by streaming platforms, in exchange for a subscription fee which is cheaper than a cinema ticket. There needs to be a bit of work and a bit of a rethink, and Netflix are trying to do that to find the right balance between retaining business and increasing revenue.
 
The model was effective when Netflix had more high quality content and there wasn't competition from half a dozen other services who have all taken back their content that they have had on Netflix in the past. When I used to use Netflix it was basically just Netflix.

Now we have:

Netflix
Prime Video
Disney Plus
Apple+
HBO Max

And i'm sure there are many more. They are all competing for a slice of the pie.
 
I remember back in the middle 90s when laptop dvd drives were region locked.

At the time I was traveling to the US a lot on business. I used to hire films to watch, of course the dvd drive locked me out.

Why won't media owners make it easier to do it legally? They never seen to learn.
 
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