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Piracy Television

Nearly Half of Game of Thrones Season 5 Leaks Online 148

HughPickens.com writes Paul Tassi reports at Forbes that the first four episodes of the new season of "Game of Thrones", nearly half of the ten total episodes, have been leaked online to various torrent sites. The four episodes appeared to come from a screener sent to reviewers with the digital watermark blurred out and are in 480p video format, equivalent to standard-definition TV, not HD.The episodes have already been downloaded almost 800,000 times, and that figure was expected to blow past a million downloads by the season 5 premiere. Game of Thrones has consistently set records for piracy, which has almost been a point of pride for HBO. "Our experience is [piracy] leads to more penetration, more paying subs, more health for HBO, less reliance on having to do paid advertising If you go around the world, I think you're right, Game of Thrones is the most pirated show in the world. Well, you know, that's better than an Emmy."

How the leak happened isn't a mystery. Television critics typically receive the first four episodes of an HBO show before its season premiere, and "Game of Thrones" is no exception. HBO could not immediately say whether the leak could be traced to screener copies of the show. "I suspect HBO may be a bit more restrictive about handing out Game of Thrones screeners to press, given the event-like nature of the show and its reliance on keeping spoilers close to the chest," writes Tassi. "I really don't see why commentary like that needs to exist in the first place." The network can take solace in at least one thing, though. Episode four ends on a heck of a cliffhanger, and those who pirated the episodes will be in the same boat as those of us who received them legally — waiting until May to find out what happens next. "I would imagine it's more fun to just spend the next month watching week to week as nature intended, even if you are watching illegally," concludes Tassi. "Game of Thrones is one of the last true "event" shows where it's something you want to talk about Sunday night or Monday morning with friends and strangers alike."
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Nearly Half of Game of Thrones Season 5 Leaks Online

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  • by chris200x9 ( 2591231 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:07AM (#49462571)
    All you have to do is read anything about the books.
    • by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:10AM (#49462597)

      Oh come on! How does that even make any sense?!

      How would someone writing books about a TV series, know what's happening next?!

    • Wasn't a split from the "book universe" announced for Season 5?

      • by thaylin ( 555395 )

        What it a split from the books, or was it that the author of the books would not be assisting in the writing of the season?

        • by Rakarra ( 112805 )

          Both. There are certain events in the book (Lady Stoneheart, for instance) that the show has announced it either won't cover, or it will cover very differently.

          The biggest problem, however, is the books in the series come out years apart. Game of Thrones is one season per year. Season Five is overtaking certain plot points in the series, especially since the order of events in the show doesn't always match the publication order of the books. Season Four even had a few events that were canon, yet haven't yet

      • I thought he said you get a snowball effect in that any small change from the books in earlier seasons would make a bigger difference in later seasons, so season 5 might be somewhat different from the books but I don't think we'll see a "split." Still I think knowing the books can count as a leak because they shouldn't be *too* different.
        • Newspaper article promised the return of that assasin as a member of Black and White house* and the death of characters who are still alive in the novels. Reason behind this supposedly is that they don't expect Martin to finish the next volumes on time, so the TV authors already are preparing for writing their own finale.

          *sorry, neither read the books nor could be bothered to remember the exact name from the article

    • All you have to do is read anything about the books.

      Not really, having watched them it's starting to look like a different thing completely.

    • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      I had the same thought. The only surprises in the show are what they left out, and major events like deaths aren't going to be among those.

      Has working illiteracy reached the point where this is actually a big deal?

  • Good guy HBO (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Hashead ( 3916557 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:15AM (#49462639)

    Our experience is [piracy] leads to more penetration, more paying subs, more health for HBO, less reliance on having to do paid advertising If you go around the world, I think you're right, Game of Thrones is the most pirated show in the world. Well, you know, that's better than an Emmy.

    That right there is why I happily pay a premium for a technically poor streaming service (HBO Nordic ). Even though it's much easier for me to download episodes than to use the service, I still think that HBO has met me half way in providing their content in a reasonable, fair manner. Time to put our money where our mouths are.

    • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

      If they would just cut out the DRM I would buy it from them. I want my media to play on my devices and I want to own it not rent it.

      • Re:Good guy HBO (Score:5, Insightful)

        by peragrin ( 659227 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:37AM (#49462845)

        Funny I am the opposite I don't want to own it. I want to rent it. Why. Because once watched I probably won't ever watch it again at least not for another decade. I have been ditching dvd's since I rarely rewatch them. Exceptions are made I own several series. However most are once and done.

        Then again I am smart enough to remember the movies the first time.

        • Because once watched I probably won't ever watch it again at least not for another decade.

          I can see this for some shows, but GoT is one I almost always watch at least twice. It's such a huge cast that if I don't review key parts of the last season before the next one starts, I forget minor details, like who got married and brought 17 new characters from their family into House Evilempire, or who arrived/left locations X and Y, or who died in a spectacular betrayal by their formerly loyal henchman/sibling/dog.

        • Soon watching shows online will be like taking a book out of the library (except there will be unlimited copies). You'll get a subscription to the service and will have access to everything they ever offered. I can mobile devices eventually acting like PVRs allowing you to login, store content for your travels. As far as I'm concerned the Netflix model is the future of visual entertainment.

          • by Rakarra ( 112805 )

            Soon watching shows online will be like taking a book out of the library (except there will be unlimited copies).

            I'd love to believe that, but it doesn't look like the direction we're moving towards.

            You'll get a subscription to the service and will have access to everything they ever offered.

            The problem with this is that the media companies own the distribution rights. They always have, they always will. They HATE the Netflix model, but there's really nothing they can do to stop it for physical media. Netflix by mail is a fantastic, fantastic series. Netflix streaming is terrible thanks to their shitty selection. Everyone has a shitty selection, but Netflix is hit particularly hard because most Hollywood stud

        • I used to be smart enough to remember movies the first time... I don't think I got dumb, but I definitely got 'old.

          old != dumb.
      • by Rakarra ( 112805 )

        If they would just cut out the DRM I would buy it from them. I want my media to play on my devices and I want to own it not rent it.

        So I stream it (using a friend's account..), and buy it in Blu-Ray when it comes out 9 months later for permanent watching and extras (which are actually pretty interesting..).

        • Effectively paying twice for one piece of content.

          • by Rakarra ( 112805 )

            Ah, you missed the part where I said I was streaming off a friend's account.

            But is it really that odd an idea anyway? I go to the movie theater, I like it, I buy it on Blu-Ray, paying twice for the same content.

    • by Anonymous Brave Guy ( 457657 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:45AM (#49462929)

      I still think that HBO has met me half way in providing their content in a reasonable, fair manner.

      I've bought legal copies of the previous seasons on Blu-Ray, lacking better options for seeing them. HBO's insistence on not releasing each season on disc until just before the next one (with the inevitable resulting spoilers in between) really annoys me.

      When I've paid full price -- and it's an expensive price for a show with only 10 episodes per season -- for something that from my point of view was only just released, I don't appreciate seeing trailers and promos for the new season that show the person in supposedly mortal jeopardy at the end of the episode I just watched is going to make it/not make it/turn into an angel and fly away. This has been happening even in between old shows I'm rewatching on second-rate freeview TV channels for more than a month (advertising the new GoT season coming up on an expensive premium channel not conveniently available where I am). They even had two principal characters on the front cover of TV magazines at the store last week.

      I'm generally anti-piracy, but this is a show that depends on the big plot twists and no-one-is-safe surprises, and I'm far more likely to give up and just rip it on-line as so many others do because of the spoilers than for any other reason. Or just give up watching at all, because why bother when the story has already been ruined anyway?

      • They just launched HBO Now, so your complaint is moot.

        • They just launched HBO Now, so your complaint is moot.

          I know, but as I'm in the UK, my complaint remains perfectly valid.

          Here your legal options are basically limited to either getting Sky or relying on one of the very limited number of on-line options. All of these require dedicated equipment and/or work out absurdly expensive if GoT is the only exclusive show on the service that you're interested in watching. As I understand it, you're also still likely to get interrupted by ad breaks and logos/banners spammed all over the screen -- an insultingly inferior e

        • by ksheff ( 2406 )
          If they have an Apple device that they can use to watch it. I've been debating whether it is worth it. If I want to watch it on my TV, I'd have to shell out for an HDMI adapter or an Apple TV. Given that there is just a $20 difference, I may end get the latter.
          • If they have an Apple device that they can use to watch it.

            Nope. [winteriscoming.net]

            • by ksheff ( 2406 )
              Well, the HBO Now intro page does state that it's only available in the US and some US territories. So, yes, fans in other countries are still out of luck until all the licensing stuff is worked out.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 ) *

      Sometimes I subscribe but then download the torrent anyway. Virgin Media is too shitty to sustain high quality streaming in my area (been promising upgrades for months), and hay, I paid for it so I have no moral qualms about just downloading a high quality rip and watching that instead. If anything it increases their profits as they don't have to provide the streaming data I paid for.

      Unfortunately there is no HBO streaming service for the UK.

  • by khchung ( 462899 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:19AM (#49462669) Journal

    Is that a joke? The series followed the book (thankfully) close enough that anyone can know what's coming by RTFB.

    • Yeah, a friend of mine read the entire series and uses it to drop spoilers as punishment when someone insults him. Having read the series myself I am naturally immune.
      • Yeah, a friend of mine read the entire series and uses it to drop spoilers as punishment when someone insults him. Having read the series myself I am naturally immune.

        He hasn't read the entire series as the last two books aren't out yet. In fact, the show is supposed to move beyond the published books this season. So you won't have to worry about him throwing out spoilers any more. Feel free to insult him... (evil grin)

    • anyone can know what's coming by RTFB.

      Until next year. Given that GRRM's shown no interest in accelerating his writing and it must have been 5+ years since the last book, it's likely that the TV show will overtake the paper version within the next season or so. Reportedly, their general strategy is that since the TV show only follows the general storyline rather than being 1:1 with the books in recent seasons anyway, they will get an advance outline of the future of the story and work from that instead.

      • by Anonymous Coward

        Martin has cancelled several convention appearances this year to try and finish book 6 before the end of the year.

        He's also mentioned there are some big divergences on the show from the upcoming book, especially considering the status of some characters on the show vs. the books.

    • Actually, this series is diverging pretty heavily from the books.

    • ...anyone can know what's coming...

      I hope it's not winter.

    • How about Sansa getting carted off to Winterfell to marry Ramsey Bolton? Bet you didn't know about that.

    • Seasons 1 through 4 diverge some from the books. Season 5 apparently diverges a lot, since they're setting up for a season 6 with no book to work from.

    • What's a book? Is that some fancy feature only available on Samsung TVs?

  • What? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ArcadeMan ( 2766669 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @09:24AM (#49462723)

    I would imagine it's more fun to just spend the next month watching week to week as nature intended

    I don't think nature intended us to be sitting on our asses to watch stories happen on animated flat canvases.

    • I would imagine it's more fun to just spend the next month watching week to week as nature intended

      I don't think nature intended us to be sitting on our asses to watch stories happen on animated flat canvases.

      Nature rewards us grandly for it. If "nature" didn't intend us to seek food and entertainment, our bodies wouldn't fill our junkie brains with dopamine when we do it.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      I would imagine it's more fun to just spend the next month watching week to week as nature intended

      I don't think nature intended us to be sitting on our asses to watch stories happen on animated flat canvases.

      I don't think nature intended us to be sitting on our asses in front of a device to comment on Internet forums. Yet here we are...

    • In your defense the sentence war poorly written but he's referring to the event-like nature of the show. (as previously stated in the same article).

    • by Holi ( 250190 )
      I don't think nature intends anything since it does not have a conscious mind.
  • Yes indeed, thank you to the OP, for letting me know this, so I can go and get them and tease people about them. I pay a TV license, I pay for Sky, so I've no problem about timeshifting this series. I've already paid my money.
  • AAAAHHH!!!111
  • Though they may make claims that piracy is a great compliment and testament to the show's popularity, it's clear that they would like to curtail piracy by offering legal avenues of watching the show as evidenced by their recent launch of HBO Now and scheduling the release of new episodes to happen simultaneously world wide.

    Personally, I was a hater of HBO for the last few years due to their open hostility to Netflix, their taking of sides AGAINST Net Neutrality and their tying of their streaming service to

    • by C0R1D4N ( 970153 )
      The streaming service is in no way responsible for the leak, it's obviously from a screener (since there is even a blurred out watermark in the corner of the screen). I would have gladly paid for the streaming service (I am 'lucky' enough to be a Cablevision customer), but fuck them for charging $15 a month for it AND making me wait a day after airing. Game of Thrones is the only show I want from HBO currently and I'm not spending $15 for a fraction of the content offered by Hulu or Netflix.
    • It's a real shame all of this variety is only for the US.

      Living in Argentina, I've no way of getting HBO other than old cable TV. It's prohibit expensive, and you actually have to pay an additional bonus for HDTV, and a second bonus for HBO.

      I wonder why their online subscription is not available worldwide (and even better: at locally adjusted pricing).

  • In Time Warner's quarterly earnings call on 2013/08/07, Tuna Amobi of S&P U.S. Equity Research Services asked CEO Jeff Bewkes about piracy and Game of Thrones. The end of the call, as transcribed (and emphasized) by Business Insider [businessinsider.com]:

    Tuna Amobi: Game of Thrones has obviously had a phenomenal performance, but one other issue that has come up with regards to that title is the online piracy. I think by all accounts one of the highest pirated shows and I'm not aware what you guys have done to kind of addre

  • "...Game of Thrones has consistently set records for piracy, which has almost been a point of pride for HBO. "Our experience is [piracy] leads to more penetration, more paying subs, more health for HBO, less reliance on having to do paid advertising If you go around the world, I think you're right, Game of Thrones is the most pirated show in the world. Well, you know, that's better than an Emmy."

    Hey assholes, either condone piracy, or embrace it. One or the other.

    You can't sit here and champion the benefits piracy clearly brings to your business while wanting to attack those same pirates with your infringement legal team.

    • by itzly ( 3699663 )

      You can't sit here and champion the benefits piracy clearly brings to your business while wanting to attack those same pirates with your infringement legal team.

      Of course they can. Or are you going to stop them ?

    • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      A nuanced response to piracy seems to me to be a very good thing. Individuals sharing your stuff? That's free advertising and lots of companies would kill for it. Somebody you trusted with a screener leaking it? That's a breach of trust and you shouldn't feel any qualms about going after them. Professional pirate pressing thousands of copies and profiting from selling them? Again, no problems going after that.

      • A nuanced response to piracy seems to me to be a very good thing. Individuals sharing your stuff? That's free advertising and lots of companies would kill for it.

        OK, so there's one way of looking at free advertising. Sharing is cool. Got it.

        Somebody you trusted with a screener leaking it? That's a breach of trust and you shouldn't feel any qualms about going after them. Professional pirate pressing thousands of copies and profiting from selling them? Again, no problems going after that.

        Oh, I see. So, as long as you wrap a pretty word like "sharing" around theft, it's cool and considered free advertising...but the minute someone charges 25 cents to cover the cost of the blank media for that "shared" copy, oh they're suddenly now a professional pirate. Throw the fucking book at them.

        I sure as hell hope you now see my original point regarding businesses championing piracy, because you couldn't have made the co

        • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

          Your post indicates you don't understand the meaning of the word "profit." I chose that term carefully, and note that it anticipates your "25 cents to cover the cost of the blank media." Perhaps you should spend a few minutes on Wikipedia and then come back with something less superficial?

          • Your post indicates you don't understand the meaning of the word "profit." I chose that term carefully, and note that it anticipates your "25 cents to cover the cost of the blank media." Perhaps you should spend a few minutes on Wikipedia and then come back with something less superficial?

            When every agency responsible for controlling piracy has clearly and blatantly stated that "profit" is not a factor in determining theft of IP, I find it funny that you want to now call it out here. I'm sorry. Would a price tag of $5 make you feel better or worse about being wrong?

            A guy giving away DVDs of the latest movie screener is going to get the same amount of legal attention as the guy selling them, as was the case here. The only thing I question is whether or not the "guy" was employed by HBO to

        • by Rakarra ( 112805 )

          Oh, I see. So, as long as you wrap a pretty word like "sharing" around theft, it's cool and considered free advertising...but the minute someone charges 25 cents to cover the cost of the blank media for that "shared" copy, oh they're suddenly now a professional pirate. Throw the fucking book at them.

          It's more than that, it's probably a contract violation as well. HBO doesn't send screeners to reviewers out of the goodness of their hearts. Reviewers gain something in exchange for giving up something. What they gain is advanced access to the content, but what they give up is the ability to speak of it before the episodes air. Tit for tat, except this particular reviewer violated the arrangement, likely a legal agreement that he/she signed.

    • The situation changed quite a bit when they recently launched HBO Now. For non-cable subscribers, piracy used to be the only option. Now it's not.

  • The comment that scares me the most from the summary is "watching illegaly"
  • by symes ( 835608 )

    Wasn't this the first fictional program to premier worldwide simultaneously? I think it is kind of a shame that this globally shared event has been spoiled. When Armstrong first put his foot on the lunar surface it was watched across the world. Recently people write and complain if a shuttle launch interrupted their TV schedule. We are a miserable species - can't even hold back and wait for a fictional show about flying reptiles and chilly landscapes.

  • I'm glad so many people enjoy it, and it speaks to the quality of original television HBO has managed to create in recent years. (Great way to re-imagine themselves as they realized their classic business model wasn't going to sustain them into the future. Too much competition with the business model of offering a selection of "seen before" movies to view for a fixed monthly rate.)

    But for whatever reason (and frankly, I can't explain it!), I just can't really get into television or movies that take place i

    • by linuxguy ( 98493 )

      You're not alone. I mostly like science fiction. Star Trek, BSG, Firefly yes. Star Wars no. And LOTR and Hobbit did not do anything for me. But, Game of Thrones is in another league. I love Game of Thrones. For me, it is as good as the hype suggests it is. I was surprised by that.

      Watch first first season of Game of Thrones and then come back and give us your feedback here. I am interested in finding out if your opinion changes.

      • As someone who read the first book when it came out 19 years ago, (and most of the subsequent ones... I eventually gave up) I have trouble sitting through more than a single episode.

        However, I'm told that the problem I have with the books declining quality was significantly less of an issue with the series.

    • by BlackHawk-666 ( 560896 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @11:27AM (#49463849)

      Let me help you over the bridge. Science fiction is often just fantasy, but with lasers and pod racers instead of swords and horses. Star Wars itself would lose little if it happened in a medieval setting (storywise, special effects would have suffered, and sadly that was 80% of the cool factor for me). I mean they already have a princess who keeps getting captured and needs rescuing by a knight...uh, I mean jedi knight. Lucky the old master is there to train the young apprentice in the way of the sword...er...force! He struggles to become strong enough to take on the black knight...um, Lord Vader. But only once the old master is defeated can the new apprentice rise above his master and defeat the black knight...fuck it, I mean Vader.

      There's an old saying, if it's fantasy the women are dressed in fur bikinis. If it's science fiction, they are wearing metallic bikinis.

      So, just take any science fiction story, and if the storyline itself could play out just as well in medieval Europe, Middle Earth or some spell casting land (swap guns and gadgets for wands, staves and magic items) then it's really just fantasy.

      • There's an old saying, if it's fantasy the women are dressed in fur bikinis. If it's science fiction, they are wearing metallic bikinis.

        Funnily enough, I think this is one of the things that gives GoT its edge over a lot of on-screen sword and sorcery fantasy. You get women wearing realistic clothes, like expensive formal outfits at court or actually useful armour for combat. You get women wearing effectively no clothes at all. However, you rarely get much in between, and in particular you don't get women going into situations with random skimpy clothing for no apparent reason beyond the ratings. Also, while there has been (with some justif

      • So, just take any science fiction story, and if the storyline itself could play out just as well in medieval Europe, Middle Earth or some spell casting land (swap guns and gadgets for wands, staves and magic items) then it's really just fantasy.

        I call it pseudoscience fiction. I'd call it fantasy, but then people are all "But they use sciency terminology?!?"

    • It's just a matter of taste. The fact that the masses like the show is just an indicator that a majority love the show and it may be worth trying on for 3 episodes (it takes that many for this show to hook you). You may not like it and that's just fine but if you don't really try it you can never really know.

      I'm one of the stubborn people that refused to watch it. I was tired of series as they always felt cheap so for many years I just didn't watch television other than the odd sporting event. A year ago a

  • Dear HBO,

    I'll still pay you. I paid for seasons 1-4. I'll pay for 5 on google play. I just couldn't wait, and I don't want your stupid service, since the ONLY thing you have that I want is GoT.

    Me, and pretty much everyone.

    • I'll still pay you. I paid for seasons 1-4. I'll pay for 5 on google play. I just couldn't wait, and I don't want your stupid service, since the ONLY thing you have that I want is GoT. Me, and pretty much everyone.

      Maybe you should look into True Detective [hbo.com] as well. That one was pretty good, and Silicon Valley [hbo.com] is pretty good for a comedy, especially given it's CS subject matter.

  • They should perhaps consider selling to a real network that people actually watch or licensing to a streaming service so they can actually make some money off the show. HBO is a giant black hole of not making anything on your show.
    • by praxis ( 19962 )

      What makes a network real? Does it require a central authority dictating programming to each affiliate? Does it require terrestrial broadcast capability? Does it require orbital broadcast capability? All three?

      As it stands, I will end up paying them $30 to watch their product commercial free when it is released. Do you think that Game of Thrones is worth more money? How much do you think they should charge? How many commercials would a "real" network have to inject into their broadcasts to recoup what they'

  • Hmmm...this sounds like an intentional leak by HBO to me.

    1) Story is out the day the season debuts
    2 ) "Equivalent to standard-definition TV, not HD"
    3) "Episode four ends on a heck of a cliffhanger"
    4) HBO confirms leak but can't find the leaker

    Anyway, meh. I'll still download the HD version of episode 1 tomorrow from some pirate site like 50% of the rest of GoT viewership - "standard TV" doesn't do it for me anymore.

  • why? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by SuperDre ( 982372 ) on Monday April 13, 2015 @12:36PM (#49464411) Homepage
    I still don't understand why people want to watch such a crap quality (480p and blurred watermark)..
    • by Anonymous Coward

      Because it's not about the quality of the screen ,it's about the story and the show I am watching( which doesn't change), for free.... but hey if you've got the money why don't you spend it in something that's free!

    • by RyoShin ( 610051 )

      It may surprise you that a lot of people watch shows primarily for the content and story; any nice effects, design, and clarity is secondary so long as it does not affect the story. For these people, 480p is more than acceptable.

  • I smell an MPAA honeydick.

  • by Holi ( 250190 )
    480p crappy resolution.

    I can wait.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Usually, I love leaks. But I hate whoever leaked this.

    The temptation to just watch them all in a one-sitting GoT orgy is going to be seriously difficult to resist for the next 4 weeks.

    But if I do that, I'll have to wait a month for more GoT. Waiting 7 days for each new episode is bad enough. Now I've got that wait plus the temptation to just watch the next one. Either way, the next 4 weeks are going to be torture.

    Bastard.

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