EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services • Hacker News Board

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#51

Post by coldtea » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:26 PM UTC

ethbro wrote: post #29

davedx wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But balance doesn't seem like too much to ask. Because Hollywood is doing fuck all for diversity. Six million Wakandans might disagree with you...

I'm as much of a Black Panther fan as anyone... but how many Hispanic Marvel superheroes are there?

>Loads?

He means in movies, and especially Hollywood movies.

Besides concerning just comics (and including titles that have insignificant circulation) the list is from all over the world. You thought Brazil and Mexico don't have their own superheroes in comics? That's not really what was asked.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#52

Post by madshiva » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:26 PM UTC

The main problem is copyright. I want do a film, and all the limitation that come with stop me for doing so.

We can't film any part of the world without need to pay someone else. You have a car in your movie? ok go ahead and pay for "using it"

This is non-sense. I watch too many low documentary that need to apply black stickers and this make me feel sad.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#53

Post by FearNotDaniel » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:27 PM UTC

Bizarro wrote: post #37

FearNotDaniel wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given a choice of dystopias, I would also prefer to avoid the one where "the market" decides what I should or shouldn't watch. Nothing here is suggesting that you should be prevented from watching Jersey Shore, or the Kardashians, or whatever superhero action flick is in vogue this month, if that's your taste; but if it all came down to money then that's all any of us would get whether we like it or not.

Given a choice of dystopias, I would also prefer to avoid the one where "the market" decides what I should or shouldn't watch. You really want the state deciding what you watch?

No, I want the state deciding that people with minority interests still have the possibility of watching what they want alongside all the more commercial offerings. And I want the state providing those who don't think they like those minority offerings with an opportunity to experience them and be pleasantly surprised.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#54

Post by no1youknowz » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:27 PM UTC

Does this affect other "streaming services" like Bitchute, Steemit and D-Tube?

For them to evade this proposed regulation, is to ensure that they don't produce "THEIR" own content to sell?

I suppose YouTube Premium falls under this?

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#55

Post by bluGill » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:27 PM UTC

julesie wrote: post #9

How can this work in practice? Can the 30% be from any EU country? I'm Irish, we don't produce that much stuff. If it has to represent 30% of the catalogue, that catalogue is going to have to shrink massively.

It can't work mathematically unless it is from any EU country. There are more than 3 EU countries, which means that eventually you will get some great content from some other country that you are not allowed to access. That is 30% Irish, 30% French, 30% German, and 30% Italian content already doesn't add up, meaning some things that you personally might want from a different country are on the list of things you are not allowed to access even though the streaming provider you are on has all rights.

If it can be from any EU country, then the country will be France. France already has laws like this and has historically invested in their content industry, so it should be (should) fairly easy to license that content and fills the requirements.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#56

Post by beaconstudios » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:28 PM UTC

gonvaled wrote: post #36

beaconstudios wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the market just matches providers with consumers. Netflix and other providers respond to demand - if they aren't showing the content you want, it's likely that (given any reasonable level of demand) someone else will be. Forcing providers to produce content with less demand is purely ideological because if the demand were high, they would already be producing content to match it. Which they do. What the EU is trying…

Not even close to the truth. What you are describing is a perfect functioning market, with producers just interested in serving the needs of the customers. In reality, things are way more complex: - producers try to reduce costs - producers ignore customer demands as long as they are able to do it. In particular when the customer has no option because competitors are following the same cost-saving approach. - custome…

All of these things are true, but that still doesn't make what the EU is doing, good. They're just forcing the providers to spend money in Europe. What makes you think European productions won't fall prey to exactly the same problems?

This is purely an exercise in the EU seeing that it can control foreign companies using GDPR and thinking "hey, why don't we use this to force companies to give us money".

Also:

> I wonder when will this fallacy of "the market works to fulfill the interests of the customers" die out ...

Just because it's flawed, doesn't mean it isn't mostly true. The market is far from perfect but that doesn't mean it doesn't still fulfil customer needs. It just doesn't fulfil all of them, fulfils them in an inoptimal way, and so on.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#57

Post by tenfold » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:28 PM UTC

beaconstudios wrote: post #5

gonvaled wrote: post #2

Extremely good news: left unchecked, the "market" would let minority communities behind.

the market just matches providers with consumers. Netflix and other providers respond to demand - if they aren't showing the content you want, it's likely that (given any reasonable level of demand) someone else will be. Forcing providers to produce content with less demand is purely ideological because if the demand were high, they would already be producing content to match it. Which they do. What the EU is trying…

Free markets are effective but need regulation at some point to prevent them becoming abusive monopolies. The EU collectively represents the interests of its citizens and is telling large media that if they wish to make money off EU customers then they should at least buy some local produce.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#58

Post by drakonka » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:29 PM UTC

scbrg wrote: post #31

drakonka wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think anybody's proposing a quota on individuals. You can watch whatever you want.

Well, they effectively put a cap on available foreign content to 2.3 times what's available domestically. If there's, say, 300 movies produced in your country, you will have to limit the selection of foreign movies to 700. Numbers picked from thin air as an example, but I still say that it quite severely limits my choice as an individual.

I'm not sure how this is any worse than limits providers already put on the movies and television shows that they make available in different regions. Except this one aims to promote local material vs just locking certain content away for various other reasons (copyright, studio or provider marketing decisions, whatever). It's not like you had free choice of material before this, if Movie X isn't available in your region for any other reason you'd still have to find it elsewhere.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#59

Post by rocqua » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:29 PM UTC

> Netflix attempted to challenge the Commission’s support of Germany’s move to support its local film industry in the courts, arguing it countered EU law on state aid. But in May the European General Court dismissed its appeal against the EC decision — saying its action was inadmissible as Netflix has no legal standing to challenge the decision.

It seems patently ridiculous that Netflix does not have standing here. The law directly affects Netflix, in a negative way. How could they not have standing?

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#60

Post by jimmaswell » Wed, Sep 05, 2018, 1:30 PM UTC

Haydos585x2 wrote: post #12

comboy wrote: post #3

> So the move — which will probably draw loud and hair-raising screams from U.S. commentators — is, nonetheless, A Good Thing. I'm in EU. A Good Thing is letting me watch whatever the fuck I want. It's a real dystopia if the state decides which movies you should or shouldn't watch.

Australia has similar laws for showing a certain amount of Australian content on TV and on Radio. This has certainly been a good thing and means that many local talents are discovered and content is shown where it might not be shown otherwise.

I don't see much value in using protectionist policy to prop up entertainment that can't compete on its own. Is this content even any good?

It's not like content can't come from Australia that can compete on its own, like AC/DC and The Crocodile Hunter. If anything this policy is probably holding back such greats from happening because it's easier to just meet the lower bar of participating in the Australian content quota.