HBO Is Targeting Game of Thrones Pirates: What Does This Mean for You?

http://thoughtforyourpenny.com/2015/04/22/hbo-is-targeting-game-of-thrones-pirates-what-does-this-mean-for-you/

by datsun • 11 years ago

10 20 11 years ago

1971genocide• 11 years ago

Never spent a penny on anything byte related, from the time I was 12 years old.

The irony is now I want people to pay me to write software ?

Maybe I am just an unproductive scum on earth, mooching off other people's work. But I was homeless for a month this year so not like I have had much options.

I do not feel at least bit sorry about stealing.

simlevesque2• 11 years ago

But I was homeless for a month this year so not like I have had much options

You have the choice not to consume any content or to consume free content. You are entitled.

Maybe that if people paid for things that are on the web, you wouldn't have so much problem getting paid for software work. Maybe that would've kept you from the street.

threedaymonk• 11 years ago

You have the choice not to consume any content or to consume free content.

Over the years that I've watched this discussion, I've come to notice that people who advocate for paying for stuff seem (though it might just be my perception) to use expressions like "consume content" more often than those who don't.

It's rather uninspiring, and I suspect it's counter-productive. No one wants to "consume content". They want to watch a film, or listen to a song, or read a book, or just be entertained. I doubt anyone ever invited a date round "to consume beverages and content".

RevRal• 11 years ago

Personally, I feel like there is a stage in life where things should be free or cheaper. I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for torrents and Usenet. Seriously. Today, I am happy to compensate all writers, artists, programmers, and others for their intangible work. But quite simply, I was a very thirsty teenager and if I had waited for a job in order to drink, I would be stunted.

serge2k• 11 years ago

You could have stopped consuming without paying.

No judgement, I pirated games when I was in school. I still pirate TV.

junto• 11 years ago

I don't understand the film companies. I'd like to watch GoT season 5 and some of the other seasons too.

I want to watch them in English and I live in Germany. Do I have any options apart from a cable subscription for a bunch of other bullshit I don't want. No of course not.

I could wait until the DVDs cone out in a years time, bit the fuckers will more than likely split the season into two releases to make you buy two separate box sets for double the money.

I could watch online but that would be illegal and I don't want to go there. I just don't watch. I'd pay a couple of Euros to watch each episode in the format I want (DNLAed off my Synology) it appears that they don't want my cold hard cash. It has been like that for years and I'm slowly tuning off from media completely. I wonder how many others are like me- abstainers?

Someone1234• 11 years ago

We used to pirate GoT two seasons ago, then last season we paid for it "just for this season" since we wanted to watch it live. We never did wind up cancelling HBO even after GoT finished that season, we keep it for the movies, HBO Go (which is actually quite a good even with Netflix and Amazon Digital), and since then John Oliver has a show which we want to DVR.

I absolutely understand why people abroad are pirating and put that at the feet of HBO. Wire cutters now have an option with HBO Now if they wish, and those who don't wish to pay, fair enough, but HBO's product is actually surprisingly good.

Ideally HBO should have seen a large drop in piracy this season due to HBO Now, however unfortunately with this four episode leak people are so paranoid about spoilers that a lot of people feel "forced" to pirate it even if they legitimately pay for either HBO Go or HBO Now.

Keep in mind that a GoT season is 10 episodes. So a four episode leak is almost 1/2 of an entire season.

b2themax3• 11 years ago

Piracy is completely unethical.

He argues that somehow piracy caused innovation in the music industry, and thus the piracy of hollywood will somehow usher in a new era of innovation in streaming video. In some respects its true that Napster brought about innovation in digital music... BUT IT HASN"T STOPPED PIRACY!

There is a ton of more streaming options today, which is great for lawful netizens, we do have a lot of great options. But that doesn't excuse pirates from ethical obligations.

You don't have a right to someone's property just because you think you should.

Maybe I should just take refuge in your fancy-house just because I think it would be morally just because you have a nicer house than I do.

Thats essentailly the argument pirates make, and it doesn't hold water.

fragmede• 11 years ago

I should just take refuge in your fancy-house

To further your analogy, it costs me approximately $0 to make an exact copy of fancy-house, it travels over the internet to you, and what you do with your copy doesn't affect me in the slightest.

I am very willing to give you a copy of my fancy-house under such a scheme, and you are completely welcome to do with it whatever you want.

b2themax3• 11 years ago

You are living in this entitled fantasy world. How do you believe this doesn't effect film studios? Everyone who pirates a film is someone who could have been a paying customer. Instead they choose to break the law. An alternative option is to not watch the illegal films!

Either don't pirate, or pay for your media. People shouldn't steal.

Maybe they should be patient and wait until the films come into the public domain if they're too cheap to pay.

aric2• 11 years ago

You're welcome to do that. That's assuming you have the power to press a key and duplicate data that comprises a home and materialize it for your use. I'll even throw in a housewarming gift basket and a helping hand.

The unethical people in these equations are the ones who try to bend the world to their whims of "intellectual" order. They see no problem with violence on human beings over literal duplication of information. Economically speaking, a lesser degree of unethical behavior surrounds only people who duplicate data who would have paid for said content. A minority of content spreads worldwide on that basis. Hundreds of millions of teenagers and adults getting online can barely afford an internet connection if even a personal computer. Meanwhile, the amount of content and producers exponentially increases. They are not "completely unethical" for taking part in fleeting, frivolous entertainment -- the vast amount of it they wouldn't deem worthy to purchase in place of other choices. Everyone's situation is different. Rarely in the human condition is something "completely unethical", especially in the context of data and non-violent actions. Streaming services like Spotify are a good start. They respect the nature of information more. They try to appeal to hearts and minds. That's healthy.

Then there are industries where net positives exist along with piracy. Growing the size of a user/fan base becomes an added dependency of future success. Industry sets adoption. Adoption sets industry. Piracy by individuals is tolerated or even internally respected, while only the piracy of moderate and large businesses is targeted. The world, for instance, was awash with Windows cracks and serials in the 90s and early 2000s, having a tremendous impact globally on people who couldn't afford it or who wouldn't buy it. In the absence of such piracy, such as by a hypothetical corporate-fascist state putting people to death or by magical DRM, Linux would be in millions of more households by now.

b2themax3• 11 years ago

You're welcome to do that. That's assuming you have the power to press a key and duplicate data that comprises a home and materialize it for your use. I'll even throw in a housewarming gift basket and a helping hand.

Okay, I'll take you up on your offer. Can you please set up a server where I can download a disk image of your desktop computer? By one press of the button, I can have a copy of your "house"... no harm to you, right?

Let me just have every piece of data you own... just a harmless copy... just because I want and value it.

It's a lot different when it's your things people want versus other people's things.

hobarrera• 11 years ago

Piracy is completely unethical.

Yet, up to last year, HBO was saying it was good for business because it made even more people talk about it.

I wish they made up their mind if it's good or bad for business once and for all.

HBO Is Targeting Game of Thrones Pirates: What Does This Mean for You?

Related Stories