Paid-for international video streaming illegal in South Africa

[jes]

Paid-for international video streaming illegal in South Africa

Using legitimate international content services such as Netflix and HuluPlus in South Africa as an alternative to DStv may still be considered piracy

 

[icyrus]

MultiChoice explained that the studios and content producers who own the rights to the content sell it to them and other TV providers for our territory at a price.

“We are not able to to take this content to regions outside of those that we have licensed and the studios agree to not deliver those movies and TV series in our territory directly via the Internet,” MultiChoice said.

“This is a business model that is universally accepted.”

Welcome to the new world Multichoice. Adapt or die. Preferably die.

 

[Happy Camper]

I don't agree with this, it's a streaming service and the internet is worldwide, ergo what I pay for I should be able to receive. DSTV monopoly game time is over

 

[marine1]

They can kiss my rear end

 

[Beri]

what about the publication board? they need to appove as well.

 

[BeVonk!]

Amazing how it is illegal to pirate (get stuff free) and also illegal to pay to stream. So if the two local offerings (Flop TV and DSTV) don't air what you want to watch you have no way to get it legally. Unless one of the two airs Person of Interest (example) I cannot have it legally even when I'm willing to pay for it?

 

[Seriously]

**** DSTV and their cohorts.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

No it's not. Distributing/sharing is illegal, downloading is not. Liars.

Maybe they should take heed of the fact that people are willing to pay a reasonable amount for a decent service, not an exorbitant amount for a pathetic service.

 

[MrG]

"Universally accepted business model" Are you serious?!?! Justifying the potential for an actionable lawsuit with that.... chuck that business model out the window before the power of the consumer chucks you out the window. Freaking dinosaur fossil mentality, get with the time, wake up to the possibilities of 2013.

 

[AlmightyBender]

“We are not able to to take this content to regions outside of those that we have licensed and the studios agree to not deliver those movies and TV series in our territory directly via the Internet,” MultiChoice said.

“This is a business model that is universally accepted.”

F U MultiChoice! F U to hell and back

 

[HapticSimian]

/care

It's time for content providers and legislation to adapt, and for Naspers to collectively suck a fatty.

 

[AlphaJohn]

No it's not. Distributing/sharing is illegal, downloading is not.

Only if its for reviewing purpose so make sure you delete the download after you reviewed it

 

[MartyMarts]

Of course MultiWhatWhat would say that.

Must

Protect

Our

MONIES

RRRaaaah!

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Only if its for reviewing purpose so make sure you delete the download after you reviewed it

Well that wouldn't apply to a streaming service anyway

 

[gregmcc]

Like this is going to stop anyone from streaming.

Monochoice are stuck in the 80s!

 

[Macethy]

The argument from Multichoice doesn't make much sense. That's like saying that importing a book from Amazon is illegal because you didn't buy it from Kalahari or their business partners. Or am I wrong here?

 

[BeVonk!]

In this case (as in many others) laws are made to protect the interests of the plutocrats corrupting society with their hedonistic greed. Time for a cyber revolution ... cyber version of the French Revolution ... to rid society of these class tyrants. Viva la Revolucion!

 

[Space_Chief]

The argument from Multichoice doesn't make much sense. That's like saying that importing a book from Amazon is illegal because you didn't buy it from Kalahari or their business partners. Or am I wrong here?

It's not illegal to import by mail or courier. It's not illegal to bring in on your iPhone or HDD. It's not illegal to download.

What the issue is that Netflix may not have the rights to broadcast video in South Africa. But Netflix also broadcasts video which MIH does not have rights for. If someone else does not own rights to a work in SA, that work is perfectly legal to be shown in SA.

Secondly, Netflix does not broadcast in SA even when Van Der Merwe watches it from Bloem. They stream out of their cable and what happens to the electrons beyond that is not their problem.

 

[icyrus]

The argument from Multichoice doesn't make much sense. That's like saying that importing a book from Amazon is illegal because you didn't buy it from Kalahari or their business partners. Or am I wrong here?

It makes perfect sense. The license holders can license their product however they like. The reality however is as undeniable as gravity and not in favour of the license holder's ideas of how the world should work.

 

[Space_Chief]

It makes perfect sense. The license holders can license their product however they like. The reality however is as undeniable as gravity and not in favour of the license holder's ideas of how the world should work.

The license holders license a work to a distributor to protect that distributor from others competing with them. Individuals can however still do their own imports. A DVD sent through mail order is processed using a local transaction in the US. It was sold in the US, became the property of the buyer and he brought it in for personal use.