FC: Does DVD region coding violate European laws?

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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From: Vance Kochenderfer <vkochend () nyx net>
Subject: Does DVD region coding violate EU laws?
To: declan () well com
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 12:36:20 -0700 (MST)

This may be of interest to the Politech list.  The BBC reports that the
EU has fined Nintendo for price discrimination in different countries.  The
next logical question is whether DVD region coding also runs afoul of the
same law.  It would seem to if the Baltic republics gain admission to the
EU, since they are in a different DVD region than the rest of Europe.

Later,
Vance


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2375967.stm

Nintendo fined for price fixing

Nintendo has been fined 149m euros (UKP92.1m) by the European Commission
for trying to rig the computer game market.

[...]

The fines follow a two-year probe by the commission into claims that
Nintendo prevented distributors from selling goods from low-cost countries
in states where prices were higher.

Prices of Nintendo products were up to 65% higher in Germany or the
Netherlands than in Britain.

"Every year, millions of European families spend large amounts of money on
video games," Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said.

"They have the right to buy the games and consoles at the lowest price the
market can possibly offer.

[...]




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