Netflix to crack down on VPN streaming...

[iguanamon]

... and they wonder why people turn to piracy. Netflix cracks down on proxy streaming

[galaxyrocker]

Yeah, I saw this earlier. I think it's the exact opposite way Netflix should have gone. Honestly, if they had Irish material on there, I'd pay a few extra bucks a month to get it region-unlocked.

[reineke]

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[Rotasu]

Aww should have jumped on to Netflix when it finally reached Japan weeks ago. Oh well, I'll still try to find a vpn that works xP

[lavengro]

No idea what forum category would have been best for your inquiry. Maybe "Questionable Activity" if the forum had such a category.

While I am not prepared to assist you in your inquiry, perhaps I can suggest a revision to your post, just to clarify the situation:

Hello everyone, I was confused as to where to post the thread either in General Tech or Chitchat board. Finally decided to ask out here. Although frankly, tacking this onto an existing thread which links an article about why it is wrong to do what I am about to ask, is a really odd choice in retrospect.

The thing is I am looking for a VPN service that would allow me to access illegally hack the Netflix US Library with ease impunity, fully knowing that in doing so I am compromising Netflix in its contractual obligations relating to limitations imposed by media providers as to distribution of product, and possibly violating whatever domestic telecommunication restrictions arise in my location.

Because I am quite aware of the fact that Netflix does crackdown VPN users/usage, I accordingly know that what I am proposing to do is wrong, but I am optimistic there must be some good VPN that actually still works for Netflix and that will allow me to get away with this.

Anyone here if uses a VPN for Netflix or could recommend one would be really great. On second thought, please do not provide this information to me, as I would be reluctant to render Rick liable in any fashion for my scheming.

TIA

[rdearman]

Actually I have done a bit of research about this. It is against the terms of service for Netflix because they feel it gives a bad service. They don't actively disallow this but because it is against the terms of service they can disconnect your service and close your account. However, it isn't illegal and you'll not get in trouble legally. But you might lose access to Netflix and you will not be allowed to re-subscribe. So if you're willing to take the risk that your account will be revoked that is up to you.

EDIT: This is of course as long as your a paying subscriber. If you're hacking Netflix via a VPN and not paying, then yes that is illegal and you can be taken to court.

[Cavesa]

Lavengro, if it wasn't for piracy, we wouldn't be even as far as we are now. Piracy is the only way to force them to adapt. And advocating geoblocking is very unethical and morally wrong. Not without other fully legal options.

If there were the alternatives, your attitude would be understandable. But the only alternative is buying a more expensive DVD abroad, paying a delivery fee, waiting 2-8 weeks praying it arrives in good shape (I often get damaged goods, just because the seller knows I am unlikely to pay for returns and don't have many other sellers to choose from), putting it in an external DVD-reader (as laptops often come without one these days and there are more and more laptops insted of the classical computers), deal with this contraption being very sensitive to movement and also not practical to carry around, rip the DVD (if we want to watch somewhere else and not carry around the useless thing), and then watch. All that in the 21st century.

If there were the alternatives, people would pay for them. Those not paying teens of the past decades have grown up, started making money, and valuing their time and quality of the experience over a bit of money. But we are offered only inappropriate "solutions" for the money.

As someone from a worthless second rate country, I know a lot about that. We were offered mp3 players long before being officially offered any way to get mp3 tracks, and then we were called thieves for pirating instead of running around with CD players and looking at the mp3 players in the shops only. Only piracy in these second rate countries showed them there is demand for the services and that we are not the apes many americans or western europeans take us for. When it comes to Netflix, we are offered a small library without much content in foreign languages, but for the same price people in the more respected countries get the full Netflix for.

As long as one is a paying customer to Netflix, it is logical they want the full service. It is the fault of Netflix to not see that. They shoudl see it as an opportunity and let people pay for unblocked content.

I've recently got a reaction on social media from someone in the European Comission PR with a bit of info. It is possible the ebooks and music will be geo unblocked atleast within the EU in 2020. But not the audiovisual media. I've considered starting a petition against geoblocking but I would prefer to join an existing one. After all, this is a wide spread problem.

[David1917]

Lavengro, if it wasn't for piracy, we wouldn't be even as far as we are now. Piracy is the only way to force them to adapt. And advocating geoblocking is very unethical and morally wrong. Not without other fully legal options.

x100. I cannot wait for "intellectual property" to be considered an utterly absurd concept in principle, not to mention a futile battle against all odds.

I do think the request was weird and clearly resulted from a google search on "Netflix VPN" as the user joined just to make this non-language related post, and probably made similar posts elsewhere today. I find the berating response to be overkill as well. Just say, "That may be considered piracy, and the moderation policy of this forum prohibits such discussion since the current UK laws place liability on the administrators."

[rdearman]

Actually I'm very much against piracy and I don't believe that intellectual propery is a meaningless concept. Many people work as creatives for a living and they need money to maintain that living. Piracy is a destructive illegal activity which takes money from people who are trying to earn a living by making music, writing books or creating software programs and games. These aren't faceless companies but people who need to make money to pay for staff, or to continue to create new content.

Pirated PDF copies of Assimil or TY books are more reason why the publishers have to continue to jack the prices up for legal purchases. The showing of films is more to do with distribution rights than with Netflix trying to "Rip you off" because you live outside the USA.

If you want to protest then protest, but stealing isn't protesting, it is theft. Intellectual property is the value given for all the hard work and hours spent by people trying to make music, or films or games and also the hours spent prefecting their craft.

So forum policy against piracy isn't just about potential liability for the administrator, but also because it is stealing from creators who make us all better off with their efforts. I don't condone it, and I don't want this forum being used as a platform to encourage theft from hard working creatives.

[David1917]

I disagree on all points, nonetheless, I reiterate that I will continue to respect forum policy, and would like to gently suggest to the mod team and other members that instead of trying to lecture people on the morality/amorality of the issue, it just be plainly stated that it is against the rules and left at that.

While this post was obviously some random person seeking a Netflix VPN, if someone joined and their first post was asking where to find good quality mp3s for xyz Linguaphone course and the response was ridicule and beratement, I doubt they would be back to contribute to the other more fruitful discussions of the forum, and will very easily find the audio anyway. After all, it is a language-learning forum, not an ethics or copyright law discussion room. I apologize that I first stirred the pot by voicing my belief that intellectual property is an unenforceable myth, I should have realized it would get emotions flaring and this is not the correct venue for that.