Ok kids, gather up, and confess your sins. Let’s be honest here. Most of the time, the only way to watch a new TV show, is to download it. Whether you do that through pay sites, or torrents, it doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t matter when Pay-TV options do their best to not live up the R700 subscription they charge you every month, and instead run repeat after repeat of Come Dine With Me and other cooking-based reality crap.
Your pirating is bad, and you should feel bad as well! Especially you…Australia!
US Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich isn’t too happy with the Ozzie downloaders that are seeking an up to date version of Game of Thrones, as he believes that doing so is a threat to foreign national policy. Which is why he wrote the following letter on Facebook via Kotaku to urge people to stop “the Game of Clones”. Here a snippet of that long letter:
As the Ambassador here in Australia, it was especially troubling to find out that Australian fans were some of the worst offenders with among the highest piracy rates of Game of Thrones in the world. While some people here used to claim that they used pirate sites only because of a delay in getting new episodes here, the show is now available from legitimate sources within hours of its broadcast in the United States.
The ambassador is just one of the many, many fans of the show it seems, and with the 17th annual UN World Book and Copyright Day being held earlier this week, you could say that the letter was timed well.
“I realize that fans of Game of Thrones who have used illegal file-sharing sites have reasons,” continued Ambassador Bleich. “They will say it was much easier to access through these sites, or that they got frustrated by the delay in the first season, or their parents wouldn’t pay for a subscription, or they will complain about some other issue with copyright laws.”
But none of those reasons is an excuse—stealing is stealing.
I tend to agree with the ambassador on some points. It doesn’t hurt to wait a day to watch a new show, such as right now with Doctor Who. New episodes premiere on the BBC on Saturday nights, while us local Whovians get to watch it the following night on the BBC Entertainment channel. But at the same time, it’s kind of a rubbish argument that the pirating of Game of Thrones is hurting the show. If anything, it’s actually helping that show out.
But my main gripe here is that our local TV options are by and large just plain failing at providing a decent service. The alternative options out there, are so much better. Web TV is going to take off, and mark my words, it will make a difference in the pirating circles.
Last Updated: April 26, 2013
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 26, 2013 at 12:43
When people can get things as they release without needing to resorting to piracy to get it then things will start changing.
Now if only 3G would start offering proper uncapped at reasonable prices so I can stream from the likes of netflix and other webTV like sites I would gladly pay! Instead of this bulldust DSTV nonsense that is making less and less sense every day.
Purple_Dragon
April 26, 2013 at 12:56
Yeah, that is my problem too. I’m renting a place so i can’t put in ASDL. So I’m stuck with my 3G which is far too expensive for stuff like this. Also 3G is meant to be 3G but always forces me down to HSPA.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 26, 2013 at 13:07
At least I get good speeds. I get roughly on average a 5Mbps speed on my account 🙂
Just wish I could have more data 🙁
Deon Steyn
April 26, 2013 at 12:48
The Ambassador is pissed because he doesn’t know how to torrent.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 26, 2013 at 12:56
Or torrents are blocked on the network?
Purple_Dragon
April 26, 2013 at 12:50
The biggest problem for me is that the local distributors actually take subtitles for the deaf/hard of hearing OFF the DVD/blu-rays. You must see how many movies and tv series I’ve missed out on because they decided to take subtitles off. Like Eureka, I loved that show but from Season 2 onwards they decided to take the subtitles off.
They are also fond of taking off special features and some sound options, some even only have 2.0 stereo sound!!
What is really galling is the fact that some places that sell pirated dvd’s have subtitles on them!! I used to buy the ones that weren’t subtitled locally, but they had to close down. So I have nowhere to buy subtitled series or movies, if I want I have to order from overseas.
Sucks when you get screwed by your local distributors.
Darryn Bonthuys
April 26, 2013 at 13:01
Really? I’ve got to be honest, I’ve never paid attention to that, but you just might be onto something there with that illuminating piece of info.
Wtf101
April 27, 2013 at 05:28
I have to agree with you here, really. Local DVD releases these days tend to suck so badly: The last DVD I bought was the Expendables 2. Extra content? Forget it. Just the movie and that was it.
Hence, I started downloading my movies, which is crappy from me I know, but really. I love buying DVDs whether it be movies or shows, but other than the movie, I want the documentaries, the gag reel, the interviews. If that is not there, why would I hand over R150.00 of my hard earned for a DVD?