Spotify offers music catalogues that may differ from EU country to EU country. Under new rules, consumers will have the right to know the differences (but not the right to buy access to another country's catalogue) (Photo: Heidi Sandstrom)

EU bans 'geo-blocking' - but not (yet) for audiovisual

Digital

Green Economy

by Peter Teffer, Brussels,

Negotiators from three EU institutions reached a political compromise on Monday evening (20 November) that will ban certain types of 'geo-blocking' within a year.

Discrimination based on a consumer's location, or geo-blocking, will no longer be allowed in the EU for online sales of three specific services: goods without physical delivery; electronically-supplied services; and services provided in a specific physical location.

However, the new EU regulation agreed on Monday will no...