09-18-2005, 12:02 PM
LawtoniaSep 18 2005, 05:23 AM Region encoding allows the companies to determine what content is available in a particular region. IRL being in region 4 means that only about 80% of what is produced in regions 1&2 is available here because it is decided by media distrbuters what is profitable in a particular region.
I feel that this is just a form of economic censorship, it shouldn't be up to companies to decide what and what is not available for us to purchase - if it exists we should have that right to purchase it and be able to view it no matter where we are in the world. Thank goodness for multi-region dvd players [/quote]
First of all, living in a small region (IRL and in NS) means economic censorship. Whether there's a regional system or not, you'll always pay a higher price because it's less profitable to sell goods in your region.
Anyway, it's not illegal to own a multi-region DVD player, or one from another region. If Love and Esterel would be open to a complete rewrite of their (currently flawed) proposal, it could include something about governments not having to support media protection (allowing region-free DVD players, not punishing people who try to break or work around encryption). That way, you leave companies free to do what they want (free trade), but as a government you stay out of it.
That might even get my support, if worded well (it mustn't be too anti-business).
But it's not your right to be able to buy anything that is sold. A company should always be able to refuse to sell you something without a valid reason. The presence of something doesn't mean you should be able to buy it. Just as I, in RL, currently don't have the right to buy a million-euro villa, because I don't have the money.
I feel that this is just a form of economic censorship, it shouldn't be up to companies to decide what and what is not available for us to purchase - if it exists we should have that right to purchase it and be able to view it no matter where we are in the world. Thank goodness for multi-region dvd players [/quote]
First of all, living in a small region (IRL and in NS) means economic censorship. Whether there's a regional system or not, you'll always pay a higher price because it's less profitable to sell goods in your region.
Anyway, it's not illegal to own a multi-region DVD player, or one from another region. If Love and Esterel would be open to a complete rewrite of their (currently flawed) proposal, it could include something about governments not having to support media protection (allowing region-free DVD players, not punishing people who try to break or work around encryption). That way, you leave companies free to do what they want (free trade), but as a government you stay out of it.
That might even get my support, if worded well (it mustn't be too anti-business).
But it's not your right to be able to buy anything that is sold. A company should always be able to refuse to sell you something without a valid reason. The presence of something doesn't mean you should be able to buy it. Just as I, in RL, currently don't have the right to buy a million-euro villa, because I don't have the money.