EU Court Rules Geoblocking Valid Digital Border in Anne Frank Manuscript Case

On July 9, 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union determined that geoblocking serves as a legitimate digital boundary, safeguarding cultural institutions from international copyright disputes. The case centered on a Belgian site that offered Anne Frank's diary manuscripts for free while restricting access to Dutch IP addresses to adhere to copyright regulations. The Anne Frank Fonds, established by Otto Frank in 1963, initiated a lawsuit for copyright violation, asserting that users could circumvent the geoblock using VPNs. The court concluded that the ability to access content indirectly through VPNs does not imply that the publisher is targeting the Dutch audience. This decision facilitates the digitization and online sharing of heritage works in public domain countries with appropriate geoblocking, underscoring the copyright inconsistencies within EU nations.