Is using Netflix in South Africa piracy?

Monochoice should stop trying to make everything else illegal and consider investigating methods of making their product a decent one.
 
Piracy is usually defined as the the redistribution of copied copyrighted material for profit (or something along those lines). As you're just watching it, and not selling it, I don't see what the problem is. Same with torrents: if you're just going to watch the movie, and not burn it to DVD and sell it at a traffic light, do what thou will.
 
Jan said:
This one's different to the "legality of Netflix" articles we've run in the past. Give it a read, maybe ;)
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It's easier to bitch and complain about everything. Being forced to read all the articles on mybb must be a new thing.
 
I don't care - I will continue watching Netflix while wearing my red overalls.
 
A bit OT, but:

Does this mean that the folks using US itunes accounts are also "pirates"?
 
The Voice said:
Piracy is usually defined as the the redistribution of copied copyrighted material for profit (or something along those lines). As you're just watching it, and not selling it, I don't see what the problem is. Same with torrents: if you're just going to watch the movie, and not burn it to DVD and sell it at a traffic light, do what thou will.
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I agree, and also given the fact that you are PAYING Netflix for the service does not mean you are stealing it as opposed to downloading torrents etc.
 
Sl8er said:
A bit OT, but:

Does this mean that the folks using US itunes accounts are also "pirates"?
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Yes, in fact Apple has prosecuted people in other countries for doing it.

All the "ZOMG PIERACY IZ TEH EVULS ITS THEFT YUO ARE TAEKING FOOD FROM BABBYS MOUTHZ" crew should start realising, from this kind of thing, that copyright laws are just plain retarded these days and have not kept up with technology and society.
 
There's one thing which I've never noticed mentioned, though it might well be because the entire "piracy" discussion bores me.

According to what I have read (off the overseas websites) the MPAA etc. - in their attempts to steal every last cent - say that streaming rights are a new form of licensing, i.e. are not covered by the standard distribution licence.

So, though (for example) Ster-Kinekor has the standard South African distribution rights for Studio X, unless Ster-Kinekor has a streaming licence for South Africa it is prohibited from streaming the movies in South Africa.

Which is (in part, as I understand it) how Netflix manages to operate: in has licences to stream - but not distribute - movies.
 
what I don't quite understand is this....

Our ISP's have every right to block these torrent applications, VPN services, DNS services and the like...

yet they don't? So who are the real Pirates?
That is like moaning at your dog for eating the meat YOU left out without taking precaution to pack it away!
 
It will be interesting to watch the launch of Netflix Australia, and whether Netflix will succeed in persuading people to switch from its US service to the local one.
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No, the question is will they abandon region shifting technology and settle for domestically available content only.
 
If you are paying Netflix for a service, they are in turn paying streaming or license fees to whomever the content comes from, so in fact it cannot be considered "Piracy" the real problem is that the local distributors are not getting a cut of the profits. if they were so worried then how about them offering SA the service (at a price comparable to Netflix) with the same content, sure Node and others are offering content but they are a lot more expensive and offer a VERY limited selection, the sooner Netflix opens its doors to SA the better.
 
BFK said:
If you are paying Netflix for a service, they are in turn paying streaming or license fees to whomever the content comes from, so in fact it cannot be considered "Piracy" the real problem is that the local distributors are not getting a cut of the profits. if they were so worried then how about them offering SA the service (at a price comparable to Netflix) with the same content, sure Node and others are offering content but they are a lot more expensive and offer a VERY limited selection, the sooner Netflix opens its doors to SA the better.
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This. Downloading content without a license in SA is a civil offense. The maximum settlement is the price of the content. However, you have already paid for it. So it will make for an interesting court case.
 
BFK said:
If you are paying Netflix for a service, they are in turn paying streaming or license fees to whomever the content comes from, so in fact it cannot be considered "Piracy" the real problem is that the local distributors are not getting a cut of the profits. if they were so worried then how about them offering SA the service (at a price comparable to Netflix) with the same content, sure Node and others are offering content but they are a lot more expensive and offer a VERY limited selection, the sooner Netflix opens its doors to SA the better.
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Yes, but the local distributors do pay for exclusive rights for the material in South Africa. Problem for them it is not going to get easier. They must learn to live with it. There will shortly be no such thing as exclusive rights. They should start paying for broadcasting and movie theatre rights only. I suspect they are negotiating it with the international distributors already!
 
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