Netflix Anywhere? Geo-Blocking of Online Copyright Protected Content v. Free Movement of ...

84 Pages·2016·0.77 MB·English

Netflix Anywhere?
Geo-Blocking of Online Copyright Protected Content v. Free Movement of
Services within the European Union

University of Eastern Finland
UEF Law School
Master’s Thesis
27.9.2016
Niko Siukkola 235634
Supervisor: Kim Talus
II
Abstract
UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND
Faculty Unit

Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies Law School
Author

Niko Siukkola
Title

Netflix Anywhere? Geo-blocking of Online Copyright Protected Content v. Free movement of

Services within the European Union
Major subject Work type Time Pages

Fall
European Law Master’s thesis XIV+70

2016

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between geo-blocking of online copyright protected content and the free movement
of services. In copyright context, geo-blocking refers to technical measures that disable access to online content services
outside of a given geographical area where the right holders of the content have licensed the commercial exploitation of
their copyright protected works. There is no EU-wide copyright regime, which means that copyright protected titles are
national in their scope and need to be licensed country-by-country basis. This creates the problem of geo-blocking and
the conflict between geo-blocking of online copyright protected content and free movement of services.

The conflict between geo-blocking of online copyright protected content and free movement of services is examined from
two approaches. Firstly, the conflict is examined with the weigh-in on free movement of services as a fundamental right
and copyright as a fundamental right. Secondly, the conflict between geo-blocking of online copyright protected content
is examined by asking the question whether geo-blocking is and adequate, proportional, mean to achieve the objective of
protecting copyright.

In addition to what is described above, this Master’s thesis examines geo-blocking of online copyright protected content
and free movement of services, especially services providing copyright protected content, separately. The European Com-
mission’s strategy for Digital Single Market is also examined in the thesis, as far as its concerns the thesis topic. Even
though the European Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy is still in its early stages of execution, some future
developments concerning regulation can be perceived, when it is approached with healthy criticism.

Key words

European Union law, copyright, free movement of services, online services
III
Tiivistelmä
ITÄ-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO
Tiedekunta Yksikkö

Yhteiskuntatieteiden ja kauppatieteiden tiedekunta Oikeustieteiden laitos
Tekijä

Niko Siukkola
Työn nimi

Netflix Anywhere? Geo-blocking of Online Copyright Protected Content v. Free movement of

Services within the European Union
Pääaine Työn laji Aika Sivuja

Eurooppaoikeus Pro gradu Syksy XIV+70

2016

Tiivistelmä

Tämä työ tutkii tekijänoikeudella suojatun verkossa olevan materiaalin maablokkauksen ja Euroopan Unionin palveluiden
vapaan liikkuvuuden välistä suhdetta. Maablokkaus viittaa tekijänoikeuskontekstissa teknisiin keinoihin, jotka estävät
pääsyn tekijänoikeusmateriaalia sisältävään verkkopalveluun tietyn maantieteellisen alueen ulkopuolella, jossa tekijänoi-
keuden oikeudenhaltijat ovat lisensoineet hallinnoimansa tekijänoikeusmateriaalin kaupallisen käytön. EU:lla ei ole yh-
teistä tekijänoikeusjärjestelmää, vaan tekijänoikeudella suojatut teokset ovat kunkin jäsenvaltion kansallisen suojauksen
piirissä, ja tekijänoikeudellisten teosten lisensointi tapahtuu maakohtaisesti. Tämä aiheuttaa maablokkauksen ja myös
konfliktin tekijänoikeudella suojatun verkossa olevan materiaalin maablokkauksen ja palveluiden vapaan liikkuvuuden
välillä.

Tekijänoikeudella suojatun verkkomateriaalin maablokkauksen ja palveluiden vapaan liikkuvuuden välistä konfliktia lä-
hestytään kahdesta eri näkökulmasta. Ensiksikin tehden punnintaa palveluiden vapaan liikkuvuuden perusoikeutena, ja
toisaalta tekijänoikeuden perusoikeutena, välillä. Lisäksi tekijänoikeudella suojatun verkkomateriaalin maablokkauksen
ja palveluiden vapaan liikkuvuuden välistä konfliktia tarkastellaan kysymällä, onko maablokkaus sopiva, tarkoituksen-
mukainen, keino tekijänoikeuden suojaamisen tavoitteen saavuttamiseksi.

Yllä mainitun lisäksi tämä Pro gradu tutkii verkossa olevan tekijänoikeusmateriaalin maablokkausta, ja palveluiden va-
paata liikkuvuutta, kumpaakin erikseen. Tämän lisäksi työssä tutkitaan myös Euroopan Komission Digitaalisten Sisä-
markkinoiden strategiaa, niiltä osin kuin se koskee työn aihetta. Euroopan Komission Digitaalisten Sisämarkkinoiden
strategia on vielä melko alkuvaiheissa, mitä tulee itse strategian toteutukseen, mutta tästä huolimatta sen tutkiminen antaa
jonkinlaista kuvaa siitä, mikä tulevaisuuden kehityssuunta on lainsäädännön osalta, kunhan tässä muistetaan terve kriitti-
syys.

Avainsanat

Eurooppaoikeus, tekijänoikeus, palveluiden vapaa liikkuvuus, verkkopalvelut
IV
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... VI
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................... XIV

1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1
2 GEO-BLOCKING OF ONLINE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED CONTENT ..................... 8
2.1 Brief background on copyright .................................................................. 8
2.2 Basics of Geo-Blocking of Online Copyright Protected Content ............ 10
2.3 Geo-blocking of online copyright protected content as a restriction on
free movement of services ............................................................................. 15
2.4 The efforts towards multi-territorial licensing of copyright protected con-
tent works made in the Directive on Collective Rights Management ............ 16
2.5 On piracy .................................................................................................. 17
3 FREE MOVEMENT OF SERVICES PROVIDING COPYRIGHT PROTECTED CON-
TENT ................................................................................................................................... 19
3.1 Brief Background on Free Movement of Services ................................... 19
3.2 On the nature of Copyright Protected Works ........................................... 21
3.3 Services Providing Copyright Protected Content as specific types of Ser-
vices ............................................................................................................... 22
3.3.1 Copyright Protected Content and Free Movement of Services in
Services Directive .............................................................................. 22
3.3.2 Copyright Protected Content and Free Movement of Services in
the European Union Court of Justice’s legal praxis .......................... 23
3.3.2 (a) Football Association Premier League and Others .... 23
3.3.2 (b) Coditel ....................................................................... 30
4 THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GEO-BLOCKING OF ONLINE COPYRIGHT PRO-
TECTED CONTENT AND FREE MOVEMENT OF SERVICES .................................... 33
4.1 Starting point ............................................................................................ 33
4.2 The weigh in on free movement of services as fundamental right and cop-
yright as a fundamental right .......................................................................... 35
4.3 Is geo-blocking an adequate mean to achieve the objective of protecting
copyright ........................................................................................................ 41
4.4 Overview .................................................................................................. 43
V
5 EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S STRATEGY FOR DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET ...... 46
5.1 Background ............................................................................................. 46
5.2 A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe – Commission Communica-
tion of May 6th 2015 ....................................................................................... 47
5.3 Updating the Single Market: more opportunities for people and businesses
– Commission Communication of October 28th 2015 ................................... 52
5.4 Towards a modern, more European Copyright Framework – Commission
Communication of December 9th 2015 .......................................................... 54
5.5 Proposal on addressing geo-blocking ....................................................... 59
6 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................................. 66
VI
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