I live in Canada. What's this Hulu of which you speak? The sooner flash dies the better.

A common method of license enforcement is a serial check upon logging onto the official server network. Hosting your own server would, of course, avoid that.

The problem as I see it though is that many online server networks do not make it easy or enjoyable or, in cases, even possible to setup games for the enjoyment of people who already know each other - particularly if they are in the same room. Explicitly working against local lan play makes many games a poor choice for those who would wish to use them in a social setting.