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back to article Europe yawns at EU robo-commish Ansip's digital plans

Eurocrats' proposals to change how Europe's independent TV and film makers do business aren't needed – according to the EU's own research, released on one of the quietest Fridays of the year. The European Commission wants to force the producers to outlaw territorial licensing as part of its "digital single market" strategy. …

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  1. Raumkraut

    Hollywood licensing

    Opponents to the plan say the winner would be Hollywood, which can license its generic lowest-common-denominator material at low cost across Europe

    They don't already?

    Seems to me that the only ones who can't already license their material at low cost across Europe are the smaller national producers, who may not have the resources to negotiate dozens of different agreements.

    5 0 Reply
  2. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Devil

    So nobody in Brussels has heard of FilmOn

    Just as well or they'd screw that up for the rest of us too.

    0 0 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Meaningless.....

    ...just because only 8 percent tried, doesn't equate to 8 percent wanting it.

    How many people try to travel for free on a train? How many would LIKE to travel for free on the train?

    2 0 Reply
    1. Paul Shirley
      Reply Icon

      Re: Meaningless.....

      Here in England I simply wouldn't believe a number that high, seems pretty encouraging even for the continent with lower language barriers. But that interpretation doesn't fit the tale Andrew wants to spin.

      The reality is my wanting to watch Irish sport in England isn't helping Hollywood sell anything, it's helping keeping my local Irish bar funded though - they've jumped the hurdles to get it so I don't have to bother fighting geolocking.

      The US has already flooded the whole of the EU with their 'product', they stand to be hurt just as much (or little) an locals.

      Would be nice if the EU sorted out the inequalities that allow differential pricing to succeed *before* full scale harmonisation but that's never likely to happen so market forces will have to do the job.

      2 0 Reply
  4. Paul Crawford Silver badge

    How does restrictive licensing make more money?

    I am perfectly serious in this question. If you can't *buy* access to Estonian films in the UK even though a number of folk in the UK (Estonian or otherwise) who want to see it, how do they earn more than if they do offer it for sale?

    1 0 Reply
    1. veti Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      They don't. But the cost of distributing it, and collecting the payments (at a reasonable level, at least), might be higher than the available revenue.

      0 1 Reply
    2. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)
      Reply Icon

      Ask somebody who works in the industry. Seriously.

      1 1 Reply
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The EU is a single market and I should be freely able to by goods or services from another member state.

    I've no idea why you are arguing for high prices and restrictive licensing for the EU consumer other than self interest ?

    6 1 Reply
    1. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)
      Reply Icon

      "The EU is a single market and I should be freely able to by goods or services from another member state"

      "buy" / by.

      You can, but It's up to the producer to set the price, and release it when and where they like. Goods have different prices across Europe.

      You actually have no God-given or EU-given right to be served a particular good at a particular price in a specific member state, just because you feel you should have it at that price etc.

      0 2 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Andrew, your argument is illogical.

        Are you suggesting that I have no right to go and buy (or by ;) a particular item at ASDA because it's cheaper than Tesco even though they are a few miles down the road and within the same jurisdiction ?

        Yes there is regional pricing in the UK but I have the right to go anywhere in the UK and buy those goods or services for the lowest price.

        Sorry old chap but you do have the EU right (the whole point of the single market) and that's exactly what the EU are saying.

        1 0 Reply
        1. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)
          Reply Icon

          I think you'll find almost all goods are priced differently in the UK, France, Germany and Bulgaria. Haven't you noticed this before. Do you never leave the UK?

          0 0 Reply
          1. Raumkraut
            Reply Icon

            I think you'll find almost all goods are priced differently in the UK, France, Germany and Bulgaria. Haven't you noticed this before. Do you never leave the UK?

            Nobody was arguing that, Andrew. The argument was about being able to go to another country and buy the good, without (I think) import duty, taxes, or restriction - thanks to the European single market.

            ...

            A more useful counter to 42's comment would be to say that: Yes, you have the right to go to a more distant ASDA and buy your groceries. However, that ASDA have no obligation to *deliver* groceries to your particular address.

            Comparatively, you have the right to go to Estonia to watch Estonian football, but the Estonian broadcasters can decide (via contractual relationships with suppliers) not to *deliver* the content to you in the UK, Belgium, etc.

            So the question is more like: should cheese makers (blessed be they) be allowed to contractually prevent Morrisons from providing home-delivery of their cheeses outside of the UK? Or "L'Asda" outside of France? Or Teskyyäää outside of Finland?

            0 0 Reply
          2. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Holmes

            I think you'll find almost all goods are priced differently in the UK, France, Germany and Bulgaria. Haven't you noticed this before. Do you never leave the UK?

            No shit Sherlock

            Goods and services are priced differently between Leeds and London.

            Your point being ?

            0 0 Reply
  6. Lars Silver badge
    Flame

    Ah please

    This is not, as any idiot should understand, about Estonian football and Ansip. Think again, you Brits too.

    0 0 Reply
  7. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    Just one thing

    Could we just get rid of region locking ?

    I know all about unlocking the player, but I really shouldn't have to since I bought the bloody DVD/BluRay in the first place. The box says that I have the license to view the material, it doesn't say that the license is restricted to the country where I bought it and it doesn't have the right to say that.

    Keep the regional code as an informational notion, but cut it out with locking the players to one region.

    3 0 Reply
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BBC, ITV, et al

    I wonder if the survey was done before the major UK channels were moved and can no longer be obtained by Sky dishes in Spain, Portugal, Greece, etc. I think a large number of UK expats have a different view than they did a year ago.

    0 0 Reply

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