Consumers Urged to Bypass Geo Blocking

[Ferret]

Wonder how long before this has an effect on prices for software, music, movies, books etc. - if any?

Parliamentary report urges Australians to bypass online geo-blocks that can double prices for IT products


Among other recommendations the parliamentary report recommends

1 The government amend the Copyright Act provisions to secure consumers rights to circumvent measures that control geographic market segmentation.

2 The government consider the creation of a ‘right of resale’ in relation to digitally distributed content including restrictions on vendors’ ability to ‘lock’ digital content into a particular ecosystem.

[sheerluck]

I've just been reading that too. In theory it's good news, but I'm sceptical that it will actually have an effect in my lifetime, by the time the companies' lawyers have got involved, there's been appeals to every court in the land......

[LandyAndy]

Interestingly I have been pricing a new Sounder/GPS Plotter for my boat.Its a Lowrance HDS 9 with everything I need to run it.I can buy it cheaper from 2 WA Boat dealers or a Qld based cheaper than I can from EBay,either Aust or US based
Chances are the USA versions are Geofenced too,which Lowrance charge $150 to unlock.
It seems shops are now taking EBay on,guessing its either do that or shut the door.
Andrew

[101RRS]

I thought we had a Free Trade Agreement with the US and under the agreement Geo Blocking would have been illegal - certainly would be if it was us stopping sales to the US.

Garry

[mools]

I'm sceptical that it will actually have an effect in my lifetime, by the time the companies' lawyers have got involved, there's been appeals to every court in the land......

If they can make Philip Morris and B.A.T surrender their brand identities (Marlborough and the likes) then they certainly could do it. Although I doubt the politicians actually have the will to do so.

Ian.

[Chucaro]

If they can make Philip Morris and B.A.T surrender their brand identities (Marlborough and the likes) then they certainly could do it. Although I doubt the politicians actually have the will to do so.

Ian.

Hang on! that battle have not finished yet. They first are taken Uruguay to the international court to see if they can beat a small country and set a precedent and then they will take the Australia case.
If the big countries do not help Uruguay to win the battle we will loose the war against the big corporations.
Today are the tobacco companies, tomorrow will be Monsanto or other greedy corporation.

[Eevo]

I generally try n bypass any company that does geoblocking

[BMKal]

Where there's a will ...................................

A how-to guide - Circumventing geo-blocking and online price discrimination - CHOICE

[solmanic]

As far as iTunes is concerned, it beats me why anybody even bothers with an Australian account anymore. There was an easy step by step guide to setting up a US iTunes account published by the Checkout (ABC show by the Chaser guys a few months ago). Can't seem to find it now, but I'm sure it's still on the interweb somewhere...

Here is another guide here.

[loanrangie]

I thought we had a Free Trade Agreement with the US and under the agreement Geo Blocking would have been illegal - certainly would be if it was us stopping sales to the US.

Garry

There are exceptions to all FTA's that are currently in place and FTA doesnt always mean free.