French consumer body sues Netflix

French not-for-profit consumer organisation the CLCV is suing Netflix, claiming that the subscription video service does not comply with French law.

In a statement issued today, the CLCV said it is suing House of Cards firm Netflix before a Paris court, accusing the service – which is running its French operations from Luxembourg – of not abiding by French consumer laws.

Though the CLCV said that it welcomes new entrants into the French audiovisual sector, its complaint with Netflix partly rests on the latter’s contract terms, which it said can be changed without prior notification to the consumer.

The CLCV said that Netflix does not provide information about a guaranteed minimum level of quality, or about refund arrangements if the picture quality was sub-standard.

It also complained that certain Netflix conditions referred back to English text, rather than French – something that the CLCV said was “more symbolic but potentially significant.”