Why can I only access this service from the UK and Ireland?

johnfallen

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2003
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
jfa.plantbio.lu.se
My Location
Southern Sweden
N.B. This is quite long....
E-mail correspondence, initiated by me, on July 6, 2003.
Background: enthused by a programme, I followed the advertised internet link, filled in the on-line form, ...and was told to go away.
So I read the Sky News Active "FAQ", and then sent the first e-mail.
Simple question; no answer. At least they replied.
The confusion of satellite and internet subscriptions is an evasion.
On July 15, I propose an answer.
Please note; I am willing to pay, but not allowed to. Like so many...
Apologies if everyone's been through this before, but I can't find the answer here, either.
So, Any views?
Anyone know who grants "international rights" to broadcasters?
John


July 6, from me...

To whom it may concern.
I have subscribed to Sky News Active today, following Adam Boulton's brilliant edition of "Sunday" on Sky News. I wish to know more, including when is the repeat broadcast.
The first Sky News Active "frequently asked question" is:-

Why can I only access this service from the UK and Ireland?

Then the following appears:-

"The content is only available to people resident in the UK and Ireland. Please do not subscribe if you live outside the UK and Ireland as your service will be terminated".

But of course that is not an answer to the question. None of the excellent Sky News team would be fobbed off for one second.

Two comments.

1. You have to subscribe before you learn you are not eligible to subscribe.

2. I should greatly appreciate an answer to the question, which is:-

Why can I only access this service from the UK and Ireland?

Yours faithfully,


July 9, to me...

Dear Mr ______,

Thank you for your interest in the VideoLounge service.

At the moment we can only supply the service to the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Eire.

We sincerely apologise for this but we do not have access to international rights for the service at the moment.

This is advised in the FAQs section, which is available prior to subscription, and in the second paragraph of the terms and conditions which are viewable through the 'terms and conditions' tab or stage two of the subscription process.

We hope this answers your query for you.

Kind Regards,


July 9, from me...

Dear Mr _______,

Thank you for the reply. It still does not answer the FAQ "Why?".

It is odd that residents of Eire qualify. There are obviously some international rights to which Sky does have access. The same applies to any Sky subscription. It is extraordinary that satellite and internet services are restricted in this way. If you have time, I should be most interested to know which authority grants access to "international rights" for these services. I can then address them. Sky has many potential customers resident overseas.

But thank you for writing.

Yours sincerely,


July 11, to me...

Dear Mr ______,

Thank you for your reply.

As previously advised, we do not have access to show the service outwith the UK, Eire, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

Any broadcaster must pay to broadcast within each country. i.e we could hold exclusive football rights within the UK but another company could hold the same rights within their own country.

To be able to show the clips abroad the relevant licensing fee must be paid and it therefore comes down to a matter of cost and who has the rights to specific materials within a specific area.

On a more positive note, we are looking to launch an international service later in the year. We will retain a copy of your email address and advise you once this is available.

We thank you for your interest in the VideoLounge service and look forward to welcoming you to this in future.

Kind Regards,


July 15, from me...

Dear _________,

Thank you again for the reply.

Sky certainly has "access to show the service outside the UK, Eire, Channel Islands and Isle of Man". Technically, it is no problem. Satellite footprints are the size of continents. The footprint of the internet is global.

It should be do grateful for information about the authority to whom broadcasters must pay "to broadcast within each country". It is there that I should take my question.

I cannot see how this works. The internet is open, and a site can be accessed from anywhere at no extra cost to the provider. Satellite beams are more restricted geographically, but observe no national boundaries. It costs Sky no more if the signal originally intended for the UK is received in Italy or Denmark. You will find many German TV channels, for example, including those funded by German licence fees, available within the UK. Do German broadcasters pay to some UK authority, or some international authority, for the privilege of broadcasting within the UK? The Astra 2A, 2B and 2D satellites, which carry Sky programmes, also carry diverse international channels. Does Emirates TV or CNN pay to broadcast within Sweden or Portugal? Does Sky pay to provide Sky News right throughout Europe?

If Sky wishes to hold exclusive rights to broadcast within the UK, its legal basis for securing those rights rests with restrictions on competition from other broadcasters. If Sky believes it has a quality product it has no need to restrict access to customers. Especially those willing to pay. In a free market, the customer chooses.

Do please let me know whom Sky must pay in order to provide access to its services in, for example, Sweden. My real argument is with them. They will find their cartel is in breech of several international agreements, including the original Geneva convention.

Best regards


July 15, to me...

Mr ______

Thank you for your interest in the VideoLounge service.

There may be some misunderstanding at our use of the term Broadcast. As you are more than aware our site is not a 'broadcast' but a link to a database of clips. On purchasing the clips there are conditions that are in place at the time of purchasing, one of these is that we only*provide these within a specified boundary.

This condition is mirrored within the Internet and we must restrict access to the clips out with our specified limits. Other countries may have already sold these rights or indeed Sky may have sold them to another broadcaster, either way we are unable to provide this service to any residence that is not within the UK, Eire, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man at this time.

This email address is for assistance regarding technical difficulties*that have access rights to this service, if you have any further comments or enquiries regarding Broadcasting rights please contact the address below.

Videolounge Correspondence
PO Box 99
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 7PR

We hope that this has been of some assistance to you,*

Regards,



July 15, from me...

Thank you again.

The first FAQ on you web page is still unanswered:-

"Why can I only access this service from the UK and Ireland?"

You introduced the term "Broadcast". It is a simple term, meaning to throw something out widely. Indeed it is not a useful term for internet access, where the client computer sends a request for files from a server. Both have IP number and names. it is less broadcasting than interrogation.

Sky chooses not to supply certain files to client computers whose IP number show that they are located outside the UK and ROI.

As far as I understand, this is because Sky cannot then assume that it is providing exclusive access. In other words, it wishes to be the only provider to which the client has access, to avoid competition.

It is not a technical issue. It is a policy issue. And the policy is protectionist.

Sky might post, in reply, to the "FAQ", and this is a summary based on your replies:-

Why can I only access this service from the UK and Ireland?

"- because outside the UK and Ireland Sky cannot control the market for the services it supplies. Only within the UK and Ireland can Sky use the law to obtain a monopoly, restrict customer choice, and charge anything it likes".

I should be delighted to learn that this view is mistaken.

Best regards,


July 16, to me...

Mr _______

Thank you for your interest in the VideoLounge service.

As per our last mail we recommend that for any further enquires that you have regarding access rights please contact the address given in our previous response. We* are unable to assist you with this enquiry but will be delighted to assist you once we have an International service for Sky Active Online.

Regards,


July 17, from me...

Thank you. I appreciate the time individuals have taken to respond to my query.

There is a simple factual question to which you may be able to supply an answer, to help me in further enquiries.

You wrote:-

We sincerely apologise for this but we do not have access to international rights for the service at the moment.

My question is:- "Who, or which organisation, provides 'access to international rights for the service'"?

Yours sincerely,



July 17, to me...

Dear Mr ______,
*
Thank you for your interest in the VideoLounge service.
*
Unfortunately we do not have the information you require in this Support Team, and we can only offer our correspondence address as a possible contact for further assistance.

Videolounge Correspondence
PO Box 99
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 7PR

Kind Regards
 
Top