Verizon Public Policy on Netflix

Mon Jul 14 12:40:22 UTC 2014

On Monday, July 14, 2014, Matthew Petach <mpetach at netflight.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Jul 13, 2014 at 4:00 PM, Brett Glass <nanog at brettglass.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> > [...]
> >
> > If Netflix tries to use its market power to harm ISPs, or to smear
> > us via nasty on-screen messages as it has been smearing Verizon, ISPs
> have
> > no choice but to react. One way we could do this -- and I'm strongly
> > considering it -- is to start up a competing streaming service that
> > IS friendly to ISPs. It would use the minimum possible amount of
> > bandwidth, make proper use of caching, and -- most importantly --
> > actually PAY Internet service providers, instead of sapping their
> > resources, by allowing them to sell it and keep a portion of the fee.
> > This would provide an automatic, direct, per-customer reimbursement
> > to the ISP for the cost of bandwidth. ISPs would sign on so fast
> > that such a service could BURY Netflix in short order.
> >
> > --Brett Glass
> >
> >
> That would be awesome!
>
> If you find a way to obtain premium content
> that subscribers will pay for that doesn't include
> incredibly restrictive licensing terms that require
> you to account for every stream watched (including
> those streamed from downstream cache devices),
> I'm right there ready.
>
> Unfortunately, I suspect you'll find the rights holders
> who own the shows aren't willing to let their videos
> be served through a CDN that doesn't maintain
> draconian control over every stream (ie, that
> doesn't allow third party, uncontrolled caching).
>
> So, you may be able to build such a CDN; but
> the only content you may find that you can
> populate it with are cute cat videos recycled
> from last week's Youtube footage--which nobody
> wants to pay for.  :(
>
> Matt
>

Nailed it, Matt, 100%