Territorial restrictions and geo-blocking: digital content (copyright) (official)
Barriers to cross-border access to online content are often based on the territoriality of copyright and on licencing practices. In the audiovisual sector for example, copyright licences are generally awarded for national territories on an exclusive basis. As a result, an online content service in one member state may not be able to legally deliver the content to a consumer in another member state. Even when right holders hold the rights for all territories or when service providers are granted multi-territorial licences, they can decide to distribute the content on a territorial basis, thus segmenting the market. Therefore, business decisions also play a significant role in the limited availability of content across borders.
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