Back in April 2019, we learned that the European Commission was launching an anti-trust investigation into content geo-blocking. The investigation looked into several huge game publishers including Valve, ZeniMax, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Focus Home Interactive and Koch Media. Ultimately, the EU fined the companies for geo-blocking practices in 2021. Valve …
Read More »EU fines Valve, ZeniMax and other publishers over PC game geo-blocking
Back in April 2019, we learned that the European Commission was launching an anti-trust investigation into content geo-blocking. The investigation looked into several huge game publishers including Valve, ZeniMax, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Focus Home Interactive and Koch Media. The investigation has since concluded, with the EU handing down a €7.8 …
Read More »Valve to fight EU antitrust charges while other publishers settle
Back in April, we learned that the European Commission was investigating major game publishers and platform holders over content geo-blocking. Valve/Steam, Capcom, ZeniMax, Koch Media, Bandai Namco and Focus Home Interactive were all named as part of the antitrust investigation. Most of the publishers plan to settle in an effort …
Read More »EU Commission launches antitrust investigation into Valve and other publishers for geo-blocking
The European Commission tends to launch several large antitrust investigations each year. While most of the ones we report on tend to fall in the tech realm, this week, the EU is turning its attention to gaming. More specifically, the commission is investigating publishers and platform holders over content geo-blocking, …
Read More »The EU’s anti geo-blocking rules are now in place
In February last year, the European Union began preparing new laws to do away with region blocking on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when traveling. It has taken a while, but the new law is finally in effect, allowing those who subscribe to streaming services to access their …
Read More »New EU laws aim to finally do away with content geoblocking for streaming
The European Union is about to make video streaming across borders a lot easier as this week plans were drawn up to enforce new laws that do away with geo-blocking content once and for all. These new laws will affect services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and could come …
Read More »Netflix insists its VPN blockade isn’t hurting business
It has been a few months since Netflix officially announced that it would be taking a harder stance against VPN users and those trying to circumvent geographical content restrictions. This has been a fairly controversial move but apparently, it isn't having an effect at all on the company's pocket. During …
Read More »74 percent of fiction TV licensing agreements call for geo-blocking in EU
Right now, the European Commission is going through an antitrust inquiry, which has revealed a few interesting tidbits about the state of geographical content blocks throughout Europe, with apparently 74 percent of fiction TV licensing deals demanding that blocks be placed to restrict content to specific countries inside of the …
Read More »EU Commission may make geo-blocking invalid in Europe
As much as digital streaming companies like Netflix and Amazon have offered us more content in the past few years than has ever been so easily accessible before, one major frustration remains: geo-blocking. However in the future we may all have the same content available, as the European Commission (EUC) …
Read More »EU Commission opens anti-trust case over geo-blocking
The EU Commission has opened up some questionable anti-trust cases in recent times but it looks like it has finally launched one that we can all get on board with. The EU has launched an anti-trust investigation against several US movie studios and even Sky UK in an effort to …
Read More »The EU Commission aiming to get rid of geo-blocks
The European Commission has announced plans to create a single digital market that will stretch across Europe, removing geo-blocks for shows across the continent. Copyright laws will also be updated to fit in better with the digital age. The EU Commission has detailed 16 policies that will help it achieve …
Read More »Anti-Piracy initiative requires VPN outside of the US
It seems that Hollywood has completely missed the point once again. MPAA backed anti-piracy initiative, WheretoWatch.com is a tool designed to point consumers towards legal alternatives to piracy but there is a catch, it is only accessible to those in the US, meaning a VPN is required if people elsewhere …
Read More »HBO cracks down on Now subscribers outside the US
HBO is cutting off those who are paying for the on-demand HBO Now service from outside of the US with a VPN. The network has sent emails to people around the world, who were found to be using tools to watch Game of Thrones from countries like Canada, Germany, Australia …
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