Netflix’s Alliance with the MPAA Signals a Shift in Platform Priorities
Earlier this week, it was announced that Netflix would be joining the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) as the film studio coalition’s first streaming platform member. It’s also been reported—albeit with less fanfare—that Netflix’s entrance into the MPAA will coincide with its exit from the Internet Association (IA), which is a trade group representing internet platforms and tech companies such as Google, Amazon, eBay, and Facebook. It’s big news for an industry that is steadily moving towards streaming models, and it’s a move that markedly captures a shift in priorities among tech platforms and content distributors as they transition into the creation of original works.
Though most associate the MPAA with its film rating system and recognize its logo from the beginning of movie trailers, the coalition’s nearly century-old mission is to advocate on behalf of the artists...