A group of New Zealand media companies has taken legal action against several Internet service providers (ISPs) in the country for allegedly providing access to geo-blocked content through a service called Global Mode.
The New Zealand Herald cites Sky TV, TVNZ, Lightbox and MediaWorks as saying that Global Mode breaches the Fair Trading Act, as customers can access popular content such as Game of Thrones via ISPs.
According to Sky TV, the companies sent requests to ISPs such as Call Plus and Bypass Network Services to stop access to content via Global Mode.
“Each of our businesses invests significant sums of money into the rights to screen content sourced legitimately from the creators and owners of that copyrighted material,” Sky TV said in a statement. “This is being undermined by the companies who profit from promoting illegitimate ways to access that content.”
The company added that going to court is not about taking action against individual consumers or restricting choice. “This is about defending the value of content rights in the digital world, in order to invest with more certainty in the future.”
A few ISPs have responded to the request, saying that they will cease the services. Call Plus and Bypass Networks have maintained that they will continue offering content through Global Mode.