Streamys Eligibilty: Geoblocking
What is Geoblocking?
Geoblocking is a technique that limits access to a specific website, or to specific content online, by blocking a fixed range of IP addresses. In other words, it prohibits visitors in certain countries from looking at content meant to be distributed in another. Just as your telephone number has an area code, an IP address indicates the approximate location of the device (a computer, IP-enabled television, or mobile phone, for example) to which it is assigned. Rights holders can isolate IP addresses from certain geographical areas, and then either deny or allow those groupings access.
Why would anyone want to limit access to a website or a web series?
Geoblocking is used for a variety of reasons. On online gambling sites it’s employed to “avoid legal problems tied to online content or services that are legal in some jurisdictions but not in others.” On video entertainment destinations, geoblocking is used to honor rights agreements that content creators and studios sign with distributors.
Here’s a great example from a CBC News article:
‘We as the Canadian rights holder are privy to certain digital rights,’ explains Bob Kerr, director of business development at CBC, ‘but we have to make sure we don’t leak into the States.’”
Today, many video sites geoblock web series for the same reasons the CBC geoblocked the 2008 Summer Olympics. They must honor the rights agreements signed with content creators and studios, and restrict content from being accessed in other countries.
For content creators and studios, selling those rights to foreign distributors can be financially prudent. If a show is released in the US and inaccessible to foreign viewers, a foreign distributor may want to purchase rights to distribute the show to its domestic audience.
What does the Streamy Awards think of geoblocking?
The Streamy Awards are governed and judged by the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV). Here, the term “International” refers to the origin of work and not distribution decisions.
It’s unfortunate that some web series are not viewable outside of the US, but it’s ultimately a business decision made by the rights holders.
In terms of winning a Streamy Award, it’s in the best interest of the rights holders to make their shows available to all members of the Academy during the voting period. As the IAWTV grows its international membership, those shows inaccessible to foreign audiences will be at a disadvantage to web series the whole world can watch.
Earth photo by NASA
Are you saying that a regionally restricted web series that is not available in many countries via the World Wide Web because of “geoblocking” is eligible for the Streamys or not?
Please clarify.
Are there a lot of international judges that are having problems viewing web series? If so, you guys should allow creators to submit their material on DVD as well. We creators make deals with studios so that we can get paid. It’s the Studios who decide to geofilter the content so that they can sell the international distribution separately. I don’t know of one creator that would intentionally limit the distribution of their show to the USA — we have nothing to gain by it.
Thanks!
What about the viewers. What about the World Wide Web.
How can a regional show be considered available on the World Wide Web. That defies the very principle on which the web was formed.
Now once a show is freely available on the World Wide Web that is a different thing but to say that the USA or any other country is the World is just abusive and wrong.
We are not talking about a country blocking a series. We are talking about a series making a specific marketing decision to regionally block their series on the www. The www is a global invention intended to be for the sharing of information around the planet.
Most shows are eventually made fully available on the www on a global basis (things like China blocking content are NOT a factor here) and at that time they should be considered for a www Award show.
This has put the entire validity and credibility of the Streamys in danger.
For a full discussion, see the entire discussion about the Streamy and “geoblocking issues” on Anchor Cove:
http://forum.anchorcove.net/vi.....amp;t=2558
It is called the World Wide Web for a reason. If it was geolocked to the USA for example it would be called USA web….. but its not. It is called the World Wide Web because its purpose is to share information freely across national borders.
Now any web series can choose to geolock, but to be considered available on the www the lock should be removed. At that time it should become eligible….. not before.
It is almost ironic that the same people who stand up for net neutrality can twist their belief structure to fit their own bias when it comes to this issue.
Clearly they are two very different issues but there is a relationship.
We are talking about the future of the www and what it will mean. You want to give some corporations advantages yet with others you want to restrict their freedoms. This just seems arbitrary and self serving.
I think it should be up to the content creators to decide where they want their shows viewed. Aren’t these awards for best actor, actress, etc.? Does distribution matter? Isn’t this about quality of content?
This has nothing to do with net neutrality — this has to do with content creator’s rights.
Modelmotion, you seem to be implying a reverse kind of anti-net neutrality dictatorship here — “All content must be available everywhere, at all times.” That doesn’t make any sense. Net neutrality is all about content creators and consumers being able to decide what/where they want to distribute and watch.
You’re trying to force everyone to watch the same stuff — isn’t that why we don’t like television?
>>Here, the term “International” refers to the origin of work and not distribution decisions.<<
heehee. as if this was really discussed at the time.
its a thorny issue, of course, and the bare rules for streamy eligibility didn't really address it, so i can see why people would be upset if they were excluded from consideration because their distribution partners used geoblocking. and i can also see why viewers would be upset that there may be nominees that they can't watch.
of course modelmotion isn't forcing everyone to watch the same stuff; he just would prefer everyone to have the same choices of what to watch.
[...] two weeks of debate across many sites, including ours, the Streamy Awards organizers this morning released a statement on the issue of whether geoblocked series would be eligible for consideration in this year’s [...]
I already said that net neutrality was a totally different issue. I was just pointing out the hypocrisy of those who made this decision But I did state in the original post that it was a different issue.
As for the awards it is not a question of where it is shown. That is the kind of thinking that was used in the industrial age. We have moved onto the information age and we are talking about an award show which I understood to be the best of web series on the World Wide Web.
The World Wide Web stands for something. It was created as a means of sharing information globally free of national boundaries and intervention. If a producer, a company or country chooses to censor or restrict the distribution of information that violates the spirit and intent of the World Wide Web and I contend that they should not be rewarded for it until such time as those restrictions are removed.
When a show makes itself fully available on the WWW, and only when it does so, is when it should become eligible for an award show such as the Streamys. Otherwise, we risk reverting the flow of information to time gone bye.
Who exactly made this decision? A vote of the entire academy? A select group? The Streamy board? Josh? Tubefilter? Drew, Marc and Brady? Who?
How was the decision arrived at?
Is it time for the web series community to expect some transparence here?
We should at least know who to hold accountable for this decision!!!!
Have The Streamy Awards Sold Out?
http://lg15today.blogspot.com/.....d-out.html
Modelmotion I agree that the community should have a voice and that the creators, the IAWTV, Tubefilter, etc., are all accountable to the community.
There are a lot of stakeholders here, but I think it is clear that the community is being listened to. I imagine, that’s why the post was made in the first place.
But, at this early stage in the growth of the industry, we need the Streamy Awards to be a success. It will benefit all of us.
So please, if you love this space as much as you say you do, criticize all you want, but do it constructively. And don’t automatically assume that there is a conspiracy to pander to studios.
I think that the purpose of allowing Geoblocked content is to allow all shows a chance to compete. That is waaaaaayyyy more open then what you are suggesting.
MSN.com video content is NOT available globally. Nor is Hulu content, nor is YouTube content.
That means that The Guild would have to be excluded. As would Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. As would hundreds of other shows.
That results in petty bickering about rules, and not a focus on amazing content.
Enforcing the kind of rule that you are proposing would only lead to more rigidity after all. You’re almost asking for a return to a closed system like television. Imagine how difficult it would be to travel to 192 countries in the world to determine if a show is indeed available or not.
Plus, practicality says that there would only have to be a small window (say 1 month) where the content would have to be “unblocked” while the IAWTV sent out their inspectors around the globe to determine if the content was actually available. (plus, imagein how much that would cost!!!!)
This just recreates the ’sweeps’ from a bygone era of television.
Tell me, how does that move our space forward?
Best Geoblocked Series –
There, now we’re all back in ;-)
Its easy to have an opinion when you hide behind anonymous names. Lets put some names here.
I know and like the Tubefilter guys and Tilzy guys. I did before I even had a series, they know its a learning curve and they actually have tried to make this work and continue to evolve it. But they need feedback. They want to succeed.
This is the BEST thing for the awards, their company, large media companies, small productions to have a heated real discussion now, instead of us all just throwing up our hands and walking away and letting the whole thing go.
This is what any sane business person or artists wants; a real frank discussion of how to make the “production” in this case the awards show the best show it can be and find a wide audience of insiders, the public and the artists it seeks to engage.
They are listening.
We should listen to them and to model motion and anyone who cares enough to write about it. It’s scarier when no one writes about it because that means there is no passion or interest from us for them.
It is not about a rule. It is about respect for what the World Wide Web means. It is the World Wide Web, not the Geoblocked Regional Space. It is that simple. If you want to return the Streamys to the archaic structure of the industrial age than that is a choice for Tubefilter, the Streamys and the Academy. You have your nation state intranet to do that on. But, it is simply not on the World Wide Web if it is geoblocked. So if you want to be considered for a WEB series award you should wait till you are on the web or have an award for shows that are only available on a regional basis and call them that.
As for debate that is what we are having here. That is what we are having on Anchor cove.
As for being constructive, I have made it clear that I wish to retain the integrity of the world wide web. There is simply nothing more constructive we can do for the “space” than that.