Sky TV Won't Allow Ads For ISP Highlighting Its Anti-Geoblocking Service

from the copyright-makes-you-do-silly-things dept

Last month, we wrote about how the New Zealand ISP Slingshot had started offering what it called "Global Mode" as a standard feature. The ISP realized the simple ridiculousness of geoblocking content, especially since so much content is deemed "unavailable" in New Zealand. So, in response, it basically set its services up so that it disguised where the user was coming from (not unlike many VPN services). This seemed like smart customer service. But, obviously, not everyone is thrilled with it. The local SkyTV is apparently banning ads from Slingshot if they mention Global Mode. Watch SkyTV's spokesperson totally fail to understand the issue:

Sky TV spokeswoman Kirsty Way confirmed the advertisements had been rejected because of their references to Global Mode.

"We are a business that pays people who create television so we are against any form of piracy or the undermining of intellectual property rights," she said.

Except that Global Mode is not piracy, nor does it "undermine intellectual property rights." It merely lets people use the internet in ways to access and pay for authorized content. It actually lets folks in New Zealand do things like pay for Netflix or Hulu -- which they can't do today.

Slingshot's General Manager Taryn Hamilton rightly calls this situation ridiculous, noting that rejecting the ads is "unjustified and petty." It's also fairly counterproductive, given that now Slingshot gets probably more publicity for the service without having to pay the foolish and small-minded folks at SkyTV for the pleasure.

Filed Under: advertising, geoblocking, global mode, vpn
Companies: skytv, slingshot