European Markets

[Condi]

Not the usual SP+L question, but when it is (AFAIK) naughty to discriminate within Europe on price, access to services etc, why is it that F1 are able/allowed to offer their F1 TV service to German customers, but not UK customers? And how come they can enforce the buyer of said service to have a bank card/address in the country you say you're from? Prevents me from using my UK bank card to (quite legitimately) buy a service in Germany.


This site...

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/sh...

Suggests that companies are not allowed to discriminate on location.

[mmm-five]

isn't that similar to the argument that the pubs tried to use against Sky...but lost due to 'local licensing agreements and restrictions'.

[Condi]

coyft said:

"Copyright protected media, such as films, ebooks and music, often need different intellectual property rights in different countries. Therefore you may not have the same access to the same products at the same price in all EU countries."

Fine, but if I am in Germany, why the need to prevent me using a foreign bank card?

[tinnitusjosh]

I've never been prevented from using a foreign bank card in germany. All my Amex / MasterCard / Visas work fine

[anonymous-user]

In circumstances where market segmentation is permissible it will also be permissible to regulate the means of payment so as to enforce the segmentation.

[anonymous-user]

Having said that, there is a new EU Regulation on Geo Blocking. I am too much in the pub right now to check whether it impacts this question, and anyway it is only two weeks until, er, you know.

[Condi]

bds at Sky and F1 have made it almost impossible to use a (semi-legal) way of getting a proper stream. I refuse to pay £195 for Sky F1 access and thought there would be a way round it using a VPN and F1 TV subscription based in another EU country. Apparently not. Illegal stream it is then.

[rscott]

Condi said:

bds at Sky and F1 have made it almost impossible to use a (semi-legal) way of getting a proper stream. I refuse to pay £195 for Sky F1 access and thought there would be a way round it using a VPN and F1 TV subscription based in another EU country. Apparently not. Illegal stream it is then.

How is using a VPN to access a service not available in this country "semi-legal"? It's a clear breach of the T&C for the service.

[BlueHave]

Simple really they are just greedy bds in the UK.

Wasn't there a case a few years ago when Sky took a lady landlord to court for getting her Sky Sports subscription through a company in Greece because it was about a third of the cost.

Not sure how much a pub subscription is for Sky it used to be £800 and all you got was the outline of a pint in the corner of the screen.

[Condi]

rscott said:

How is using a VPN to access a service not available in this country "semi-legal"? It's a clear breach of the T&C for the service.

T+C's is contractual, and a civil matter.

Copyright infringement is illegal.


Is my understanding.



I have no issues with paying £60 a year or whatever to watch it, via an official stream from another country. But £195 is taking the piss.

[rscott]

Condi said:

rscott said:

How is using a VPN to access a service not available in this country "semi-legal"? It's a clear breach of the T&C for the service.

T+C's is contractual, and a civil matter.

Copyright infringement is illegal.


Is my understanding.



I have no issues with paying £60 a year or whatever to watch it, via an official stream from another country. But £195 is taking the piss.

Choose your country carefully - F1 have very variable pricing. From €65 in some countries to nearly €200 in Monaco

[Condi]

rscott said:

Choose your country carefully - F1 have very variable pricing. From €65 in some countries to nearly €200 in Monaco

I know... cheapest international price I've found is $60, which is quite reasonable. UK price is taking the piss.

[rscott]

Condi said:

rscott said:

Choose your country carefully - F1 have very variable pricing. From €65 in some countries to nearly €200 in Monaco

I know... cheapest international price I've found is $60, which is quite reasonable. UK price is taking the piss.

If by UK price you mean NowTv, then you're not comparing like with like.
Nowtv gives you all the F1 & GP3 races, plus Indycar. You also get all the other sports channels too, which may or may not interest you.
2 simultaneous logins with NowTv, so could get a sub and split the cost with a friend..

[donkmeister]

OP, have you tried using your VPN to put you outside of the EEA and buying an account for another country? Could be worth a shot.

[Truffs]

Maybe somewhere small where lots of people go so the old payment card must be registered to the country trick would cost them a lot of sales.

[Condi]

donkmeister said:

OP, have you tried using your VPN to put you outside of the EEA and buying an account for another country? Could be worth a shot.

Yes, it seems to look at the card number, and go from there. So if you declare yourself to be in Columbia, for example, unless the card number is a 'Columbian' card number, it says no.

[anonymous-user]

Not without reason did the UK gain the nickname of ‘Treasure Island’!

[Integroo]

Breadvan72 said:

Having said that, there is a new EU Regulation on Geo Blocking. I am too much in the pub right now to check whether it impacts this question, and anyway it is only two weeks until, er, you know.

The Geoblocking Regulation doesn't apply to "electronically supplied services the main feature of which is the provision of access to and use of copyright protected work".

[Integroo]

mmm-five said:

isn't that similar to the argument that the pubs tried to use against Sky...but lost due to 'local licensing agreements and restrictions'.

It was actually found that it is unlawful for Sky to prevent its foreign broadcasters from distributing decoder cards intended for its home country to consumers in another country. Sky won on the separate point that the publicans were communicating the copyright works to the public (i.e. their customers) via the television screen and speakers in the pub. Communication to the public is an act which is infringing without the copyright owner's consent. So foreign distributors cannot be prevented from selling decoder cards to you or I but pubs breach copyright if they show it on theur televisions.

[anonymous-user]

Integroo said:

Breadvan72 said:

Having said that, there is a new EU Regulation on Geo Blocking. I am too much in the pub right now to check whether it impacts this question, and anyway it is only two weeks until, er, you know.

The Geoblocking Regulation doesn't apply to "electronically supplied services the main feature of which is the provision of access to and use of copyright protected work".

Thanks. That is unsurprising. A good illustration of the point that EU membership does not override national rules in all contexts.