Many did this to try and get access to Netflix content not available in their countries, whereas others used it as a way to watch the content they paid for when they traveled outside the country.
Now the European Parliament is getting involved to force Netflix to allow EU residents to access their home library even when they travel. At issue here is the fact that many EU residents travel between countries like Americans travel between states; however, there are different catalogs for each EU country.
The European Parliament wants to ban services like Netflix from using IPs to identify the location of the subscriber. Instead, online content providers will have to take “reasonable and proportionate measures,” according to the European Union. Those might include “checks on electronic identification, payment details, public tax information, postal address details or IP address checks.”
This would mean if you are a resident of Germany you would be able to access the German catalog even if you travel to other EU areas.
There are still a few steps to go as the Legal Affairs Committee, Parliament as a whole, and the European Council need to all approve this act before it takes effect.
This law would make being a Netflix subscriber in the European Union easier. The question now is how this new law will effect Netflix content deals. Netflix has limited rights to shows and movies that clearly state who and where Netflix can offer certain movies and TV shows.
It is unknown at this time if this law would force Netflix to renegotiate contracts or may be forced to remove content from its catalog.
Source: Independent.co.uk
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news, tips, and reviews.
Need cord cutting tech support? Join our new Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.