region coding the internet?

[the_ultimate_evil]

i've noticed a lot of sites doing this more and more, seriously is there any point to it. its starting to become really annoying.

 

[jaguarr]

What do you mean by region coding sites? Have an example you could show me?

jag

 

[Speedball]

The BBC site won't let people from the US surf certain parts of the site. The whole Torchwood section is blocked.
Would that be an example?

 

[Mister J]

I got curious and just went to the Torchwood page.

Access to this site is restricted.

If you are outside the UK you will not be able to use bbc.co.uk/torchwood for rights reasons.

Now, I don't know what or who the hell a Torchwood is, but I demand satisfaction! Blasted limeys.

I'd like to learn the reasoning behind this though. Could be interesting.

 

[Speedball]

I got curious and just went to the Torchwood page.

Now, I don't know what or who the hell a Torchwood is, but I demand satisfaction!

Torchwood is a TV show.
The guy in my avvy is from the show.
I went there to see if I could watch an episode I missed, but I got that.

 

[Captain Planet!]

Why they hatin'?

 

[jaguarr]

The BBC site won't let people from the US surf certain parts of the site. The whole Torchwood section is blocked.
Would that be an example?

Ahhh, okay. Gotcha. Yeah, they engineer that through interpreting IP blocks and knowing which part of the world they come from. Mostly I've seen it used to keep people from a certain part of the world getting access to content that's restricted by law in another part of the world or for legal reasons. Demonoid, for example, before it went completely belly up was IP blocking people from Canada because most of the legal issue they were having at the time were being generated from Canada. It's very odd that they would IP block people in the US from getting access to something like a BBC TV show, though. There are lots of ways around it, though. Using proxy sites is one way so do a little Google work on free web proxies and I bet you'll find your way into the Torchwood section of the BBC site before long.

jag

 

[knowsbleed]

Lots of sites in the middle east do that because many US based websites (like Myspace) are considered offensive and are therefore illegal. I forgot the exact wording but when I was there and tried to access that particular site and ones similar I received a message with similar wording.

I have no idea why the BBC would block a tv show though. Copyright issues mayhaps?

 

[Mister J]

Apparently, it has something to do with the public funding of the BBC. Non-UK users aren't contributing toward the license fees and consequently, don't have access to the features said fees are funded by.

 

[black_dust]

Yeah its ****, because on some sites i cant view music videos (like on MTVs site) what the hell difference does it make for me to view a music video??

I Hope this isnt the future of the Internet because its lame

 

[hammy]

It's the same with some US sites. If you want to go to the NBC site to watch Chuck and you're in the UK, you can't see it.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

^^thats whatyou bastards get for blocking us.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

its starting on a lot of tv sites, i posted this thread after i noticed it happening on adult swim