The BBC restricting programmes, is not unique to the UK. Try and
access e.g.
hulu.com etc, outside the US and you won't be able to do
it. This is will be an increasing issue in future, and I cannot see
it being restricted to TV on demand. For convenience, and the US has
already started doing it with some website content.
In the meantime, this is the BBC's official line as to why progs
aren't available outside the UK:
http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/download_programmes/outsideuk
Although that's not the entire story, it doesn't make sense especially
for progs that have been commissioned entirely for the BBC. (I've
signed a few contracts in my time, and you basically waiver all
broadcast rights to the BBC for future use ... the contracts honestly
feel like you're selling your soul). Other issues come into play,
e.g. potential lost revenue via BBC Shop, who pays for the bandwidth
for iPlayer streaming (it has to be funded from somewhere, and I will
start objecting to my licence fee being hiked to pay for someone
outside the UK to access a prog). The bandwidth bill for iPlayer (for
UK usage) already runs into millions.
The UK isn't completely hostile to internations, the annual budget for
the BBC World Service is £250 million, funded by the FCO (or rather
the British taxpayer). If any "free" use of iPlayer was made
available, then should the FCO budget go up or do you cut other
services, such as radio or BBC Persian (television)? Bottom line,
tech is changing much faster than policy / law can keep up (a common
story). I bring law into this, because it could very well require an
Act of Parliament or some form of delegated legislation to grant the
BBC power to make available content outside the UK.
Alison