The Internet was once viewed as a “borderless” world that had little regard for the physical location of users. That sentiment likely seems outdated today to many Canadian Internet users who have grown accustomed to clicking on links for audio or video services only to be advised that the content, site or service is not available in their area.My weekly technology law column notes that “geo-blocking” has become standard practice among broadcasters, sports leagues, and music services that use technologies to identify the likely location of an Internet user in real-time and block the content in some circumstances. From World Cup broadcasts to Hulu.com (a popular U.S. video site) to Spotify (a European music service), Canadians often find themselves unable to access content and unsure who is to blame.To read this article by Professor Michael Geist in full, see:
www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5179/135/
www.thestar.com/news/sciencetech/technology/lawbytes/article/830721–geist-geo-blocking-websites-is-a-business-rather-than-legal-issue
Geo-Blocking Sites a Business Rather Than Legal Issue by Michael Geist
The Internet was once viewed as a “borderless” world that had little regard for the physical location of users. That sentiment likely seems outdated today to many Canadian Internet users who have grown accustomed to clicking on links for audio or video services only to be advised that the content, site or service is not available in their area.