Comments on: This Video Is Not Available In Your Location

By: Hans

Hans — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:18:49 +0000

I experienced several times and it's frustrating. I just wonder if this was always the case or if this another negative.

I watch yahoo.de sometimes and am shown a video…so I believed. First a commercial showing a German product is shown ( which I must watch) and then this stupid statement in German comes up.

By: Mita

Mita — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:16:00 +0000

I just tried to see Kobe Bryant's lucky shoot against heats. I've got blue guy and "This video is not…."
I am from Serbia, which is not, I believe, "first-world country", whatever it means.
So what? What can I do illegaly with that video content? I can't imagine.
Nevermind, I found the video on youtube.
You can find Avatar trailers here and there. Just go away from yahoo. Let them do their geoblocking.

By: Mita

Mita — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:16:00 +0000

I just tried to see Kobe Bryant’s lucky shoot against heats. I’ve got blue guy and “This video is not….”
I am from Serbia, which is not, I believe, “first-world country”, whatever it means.
So what? What can I do illegaly with that video content? I can’t imagine.
Nevermind, I found the video on youtube.
You can find Avatar trailers here and there. Just go away from yahoo. Let them do their geoblocking.

By: Taylor Blue

Taylor Blue — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:30:00 +0000

That makes me upset when I go to MTV and they block everything. I know recently they were showing some clips that I could see and I made a point to say how much I appreciated that I could actually watch it in the blog post I wrote about it. I wish it would happen more often because living in an igloo shouldn't mean that we can't watch what everyone else is watching too. (I know Canadian rules have to change. Silly Canada.)

By: Taylor Blue

Taylor Blue — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:30:00 +0000

That makes me upset when I go to MTV and they block everything. I know recently they were showing some clips that I could see and I made a point to say how much I appreciated that I could actually watch it in the blog post I wrote about it. I wish it would happen more often because living in an igloo shouldn’t mean that we can’t watch what everyone else is watching too. (I know Canadian rules have to change. Silly Canada.)

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:05:00 +0000

I see the same thing as an American fan of UK television: Being Human, Hotel Babylon, Dr Who, The Graham Norton Show, Coupling, The Office, The Proms, etc. I get frustrated with the extensive delay for many of these shows between the UK airing and the BBC America broadcast (6 months to a year later if it ever airs). Unfortunately all of the promos for these shows on the BBC website are geolocked. While some of these shows don't meet the US broadcast restrictions due to content matter(Coupling, The Office), Blocking the trailers for the upcoming Dr. Who special Waters of Mars doesn't fall within the restricted to intended audience or social restrictions explanations.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:05:00 +0000

I see the same thing as an American fan of UK television: Being Human, Hotel Babylon, Dr Who, The Graham Norton Show, Coupling, The Office, The Proms, etc. I get frustrated with the extensive delay for many of these shows between the UK airing and the BBC America broadcast (6 months to a year later if it ever airs). Unfortunately all of the promos for these shows on the BBC website are geolocked. While some of these shows don’t meet the US broadcast restrictions due to content matter(Coupling, The Office), Blocking the trailers for the upcoming Dr. Who special Waters of Mars doesn’t fall within the restricted to intended audience or social restrictions explanations.

By: Clarissa

Clarissa — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:44:00 +0000

I respectfully disagree with you on the trailer issue. If only because over the weekend the exact same Avatar trailer was on display at the official website (although not posted at the same time as the Yahoo trailer) and I viewed it without problem. In that case, I believe the whole "this video is unavailable in your location" situation was more of a glitch and an oversite than due to any sort of laws or intended target audience.

You're right on other points. We don't get to see Superbowl commercials here, because we aren't the intended audience. But most of the time trailers play without problems, because they intend to release those movies around the world and in those cases everyone is the intended audience (although I've heard of the practice of changing around trailers for some countries, particularly due to cultural sensitivities).

By: Clarissa

Clarissa — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:44:00 +0000

I respectfully disagree with you on the trailer issue. If only because over the weekend the exact same Avatar trailer was on display at the official website (although not posted at the same time as the Yahoo trailer) and I viewed it without problem. In that case, I believe the whole “this video is unavailable in your location” situation was more of a glitch and an oversite than due to any sort of laws or intended target audience.

You’re right on other points. We don’t get to see Superbowl commercials here, because we aren’t the intended audience. But most of the time trailers play without problems, because they intend to release those movies around the world and in those cases everyone is the intended audience (although I’ve heard of the practice of changing around trailers for some countries, particularly due to cultural sensitivities).

By: TV on the Brain

TV on the Brain — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:44:00 +0000

"My intellectual property lawyer friend tells me that it’s actually our Canadian copyright laws that need to change in order to gain access to this legal content"

That's essentially the gist of things. Unfortunately, this content is controlled by U.S. law, which is not respected by courts in many other countries (including Canada). Content belongs to networks, and they need some sort of way to minimize damage and loss.

As well, you need to consider other legal things, such as laws re: trailers, what can be shown, what can't be. This content is designed specifically for a target audience, and you're not it, sadly.

I'm not saying this is the best practice, because I've been hit by it as well (imagine that, targeting non U.S. customers ;)). It doesn't happen often, but it does (occasionally) happen.

Networks need to retain some sort of control over their content and how it's distributed. Why? Well, if they don't, who's going to?? The consumer won't. The law in these countries won't, so they have to make sure that THEIR content (yes, it belongs to them) is protected.

By: TV on the Brain

TV on the Brain — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:44:00 +0000

“My intellectual property lawyer friend tells me that it’s actually our Canadian copyright laws that need to change in order to gain access to this legal content”
That’s essentially the gist of things. Unfortunately, this content is controlled by U.S. law, which is not respected by courts in many other countries (including Canada). Content belongs to networks, and they need some sort of way to minimize damage and loss.

As well, you need to consider other legal things, such as laws re: trailers, what can be shown, what can’t be. This content is designed specifically for a target audience, and you’re not it, sadly.

I’m not saying this is the best practice, because I’ve been hit by it as well (imagine that, targeting non U.S. customers ;)). It doesn’t happen often, but it does (occasionally) happen.

Networks need to retain some sort of control over their content and how it’s distributed. Why? Well, if they don’t, who’s going to?? The consumer won’t. The law in these countries won’t, so they have to make sure that THEIR content (yes, it belongs to them) is protected.

By: Pixie Wings

Pixie Wings — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:05:00 +0000

BRAVO! I have often wondered why I was unable to watch US network streaming from my igloo. :D

Seriously, it annoys the hell out of me. They can film all their shows up here, have casts and crew that could pass any CanCon standards…but we can't watch it up here.

Unfair, I say.

By: Pixie Wings

Pixie Wings — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:05:00 +0000

BRAVO! I have often wondered why I was unable to watch US network streaming from my igloo. :D
Seriously, it annoys the hell out of me. They can film all their shows up here, have casts and crew that could pass any CanCon standards…but we can’t watch it up here.
Unfair, I say.

By: Clarissa

Clarissa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Just read the article you're refering to and found it very interesting. And sad.

By: Clarissa

Clarissa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Just read the article you’re refering to and found it very interesting. And sad.

By: Paul Kerton

Paul Kerton — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Good write up Clarissa. Its already known for example that in the UK, the music industry spends more on fighting piracy than it actually loses from the practice. I wrote up some things on my blog that you might be interested in, in regards to the UK Government investigating a "three strikes" policy for piracy and the internet. http://www.blabberdrive.com

By: Paul Kerton

Paul Kerton — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:05:24 +0000