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HBO starting to go after downloaders too?

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Halvie

Banned
"RE: Unauthorized Distribution of a Copyrighted HBO Television Program

Dear ________:

We are writing this letter on behalf of Home Box Office, Inc. ("HBO").

We have received information leading us to believe that an individual has utilized the below-referenced IP address at the noted date and time to offer downloads of copyrighted television program(s) through a "peer-to-peer" service.

The distribution of unauthorized copies of copyrighted television programs constitutes copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, Title 17 United States Code Section 106(3).

Since you own the below-referenced IP address, we request that you immediately do the following:
1) Disable access to the individual who has engaged in the conduct described above; and/or
2) Take other appropriate action against the account holder under your Abuse Policy/Terms of Service Agreement.

On behalf of HBO, owner of the exclusive rights to the copyrighted material at issue in this notice, we hereby state, that we have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by HBO, its respective agents, or the law.

Also, we hereby state, under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the State of New York and under the laws of the United States, that the information in this notification is accurate and that we are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive rights being infringed as set forth in this notification.

Please direct any end user queries to the following address:

Mark Ishikawa
CEO
BayTSP.com Inc. - as an Authorized Agent of Home Box Office, Inc.
PO Box 1314 - Los Gatos, CA 95031
Phone:: 408-341-2305 fax:: 408-341-2399
hbo_p2p@copyright-compliance.com"
 

duckroll

Member
Starting? HBO has always gone after downloaders. Anyone using a torrent for illegal purposes should be well aware of the consequences. :p
 
HBO has done this for a long time. They were very active in going after people who downloaded sopranos stuff for example. Massive campaign of letters to isps and whatnot, usually not lawsuits.
 
Here's a serious question, say I get HBO and I want to download an episode of the pacific, why is that illegal, but if i DVR it, it isnt?
 
bucknuticus said:
Here's a serious question, say I get HBO and I want to download an episode of the pacific, why is that illegal, but if i DVR it, it isnt?

DVR'ing it means you subscribed to the channel
 
bucknuticus said:
Here's a serious question, say I get HBO and I want to download an episode of the pacific, why is that illegal, but if i DVR it, it isnt?
Morally? I'd agree with you. Legally? A dvr is probably legally permissible timeshifting. Downloading a copy from a non approved source is probably not going to fall within the legally crafted safe harbors. I agree that it's really a distinction without a difference, but HBO could still come after you for it. Also there's the issue of torrenting as a distribution AND a download at the same time, whereas a DVR is simply a capture of what only you (in your home at least) have a right to receive in the first place.
 

Tobor

Member
I'm hoping HBO will get their head out of their asses and allow people to sign up for their streaming service without a cable subscription. You cut down on piracy by providing legal alternatives.
 

yacobod

Banned
I got a warning email from comcast via hbo for downloading the final season of the sopranos and second season of rome, nothing came of it

I continued to download hbo content after that as well
 

Triple U

Banned
yacobod said:
I got a warning email from comcast via hbo for downloading the final season of the sopranos and second season of rome, nothing came of it

I continued to download hbo content after that as well
yea you might want to edit that post
 
yacobod said:
I got a warning email from comcast via hbo for downloading the final season of the sopranos and second season of rome, nothing came of it

I continued to download hbo content after that as well

So you're admitting to piracy on GAF? Smart man.
 

Jtones

Banned
yacobod said:
I continued to download hbo content after that as well

V6NMe.gif
 

vazel

Banned
If there's one pay channel that deserves your dough it's HBO. I unfortunately can only do that with home video as I don't have a cable box. I wish they would have their stuff for rent on the PSN and Amazon video stores.
 

Meier

Member
I know a buddy who got nailed for downloading Entourage some years back. I think that's one of their primary shows they went after people on.
 

D4Danger

Unconfirmed Member
vazel said:
If there's one pay channel that deserves your dough it's HBO. I unfortunately can only do that with home video as I don't have a cable box. I wish they would have their stuff for rent on the PSN and Amazon video stores.

I think HBO's best days are behind it. The Sopranos and The Wire are pretty much the best TV shows ever made and it's disappointing that they've got nothing to replace them (it doesn't look they've even tried)

I know shows like these don't just fall out the sky every day but you look at what AMC are doing and they have hit after hit. Mad Men (which HBO passed on), Breaking Bad and soon Walking Dead. This is the sort of stuff HBO should be doing.
 

Tobor

Member
vazel said:
If there's one pay channel that deserves your dough it's HBO. I unfortunately can only do that with home video as I don't have a cable box. I wish they would have their stuff for rent on the PSN and Amazon video stores.
They already have a Hulu style streaming service, but you can't access it without proving you have cable. Truly stupid.
 

hokahey

Member
D4Danger said:
I think HBO's best days are behind it. The Sopranos and The Wire are pretty much the best TV shows ever made and it's disappointing that they've got nothing to replace them (it doesn't look they've even tried)

I know shows like these don't just fall out the sky every day but you look at what AMC are doing and they have hit after hit. Mad Men (which HBO passed on), Breaking Bad and soon Walking Dead. This is the sort of stuff HBO should be doing.


Big Love is outstanding.

True Blood has it's moments.

Boardwalk Empire will trump all.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
What happens if you don't ever check your ISP email? :lol
 

Weenerz

Banned
Torrents for HBO shows have always been this way. If you're gonna be downloading these types of TV shows, find other ways to get your stuff that doesn't force you to upload while you download.
 
BocoDragon said:
What happens if you don't ever check your ISP email? :lol
I ventured in once and there was around 1200 unread messages from Nigerian princes, companies asking if i'm paying too much for my home insurance, penis enlargers, and the like.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
bucknuticus said:
Here's a serious question, say I get HBO and I want to download an episode of the pacific, why is that illegal, but if i DVR it, it isnt?

No one knows if that is illegal or not.

While format shifting (AKA DVRs, or earlier VCRs) has long been considered legal, particularly where it doesn't involve circumventing copy protection, there's never been a ruling that suggests whether one can format shift "indirectly" like what you're talking about.

There is precisely one case that relates to whether this is legal or not. UMG v. MP3.com. MP3.com ran a service where you could stick your CDs in your disc drive, run an app, and get a license to stream or download mp3 copies off their servers. The judge ruled that this service was infringement. There are several key differences; 1) The ruling was about MP3.com's actions in providing the mp3s, not a consumer's actions in obtaining them. 2) MP3.com was a commercial operation that profited by making content available. 3) Because the content was available anywhere in the world, even though there was a "registration" security level, it could obviously be used for infringement.

So, like I said at the beginning of the post, downloading content as a means of "indirectly" format-shifting content you have legal access to has not yet been ruled illegal in the United States.

Now, mind you, if you did this via torrent you'd probably be uploading and thus be infringing regardless.
 

ezekial45

Banned
How exactly are companies acting against sites like megaupload and rapidshare. A ton of people get there movies and stuff from there.
 

Brian Fellows

Pete Carroll Owns Me
BocoDragon said:
What happens if you don't ever check your ISP email? :lol


Mine called me at home when I they got an e-mail like that about me downloading Deadwood back in the day. But its a local ISP so I know like 80% of the people who work there.
 

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Tobor said:
I'm hoping HBO will get their head out of their asses and allow people to sign up for their streaming service without a cable subscription. You cut down on piracy by providing legal alternatives.

All of this wouldn't be a problem if we could get à la carte TV :(



BTW - I do have to admit that FiOS's HBO sub is fantastic though. You get fourteen HBO's (that's 14 SD and 14 HD - admittedly some are Spanish though ;p) ... HD VOD with dozens of rotating movies available anytime + tons of series episodes ... and then the HBO GO PC stuff. It's not cheap, but it's nice.
 

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
Raistlin said:
All of this wouldn't be a problem if we could get à la carte TV :(



BTW - I do have to admit that FiOS's HBO sub is fantastic though. You get fourteen HBO's (that's 14 SD and 14 HD - admittedly some are Spanish though ;p) ... HD VOD with dozens of rotating movies available anytime + tons of series episodes ... and then the HBO GO PC stuff. It's not cheap, but it's nice.
I think they need a subscribe to a show. Like 14.99 for an individual show's season or 1.99 per episode.
 

Macam

Banned
Tobor said:
I'm hoping HBO will get their head out of their asses and allow people to sign up for their streaming service without a cable subscription. You cut down on piracy by providing legal alternatives.

Tell me about it.

That and they seem willingly oblivious to the fact that the HD wars have been over for some time now and that it might be beneficial to their bottom line to release Blu Ray versions of their past programs (e.g., Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm). You can get the first and last seasons of the Sopranos on BR, but absolutely nothing in between; that's just idiotic.
 

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
shintoki said:
I think they need a subscribe to a show. Like 14.99 for an individual show's season or 1.99 per episode.

Would be great, but considering they won't even go to à la carte at this point ... good luck getting that to happen. Baby steps.





Macam said:
Tell me about it.

That and they seem willingly oblivious to the fact that the HD wars have been over for some time now and that it might be beneficial to their bottom line to release Blu Ray versions of their past programs (e.g., Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm). You can get the first and last seasons of the Sopranos on BR, but absolutely nothing in between; that's just idiotic.

While I agree, it's hardly an issue specific to HBO.

I'M LOOKING AT YOU WARNER BROS
Smallville :\
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
shintoki said:
I think they need a subscribe to a show. Like 14.99 for an individual show's season or 1.99 per episode.

iTunes does this. Except it's more like $3-$5 per episode or $50+ per season. :p
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
i got a letter from HBO last year

i'm a paying subscriber but i missed an episode of bored to death :(
 

yacobod

Banned
Meh w/e I was just posting my experiences as related to the op, I haven't downloaded a show since sopranos and rome have gone off the air, I own both series on dvd anyways, if ppl want to be self righteous so be it
 

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
Stumpokapow said:
iTunes does this. Except it's more like $3-$5 per episode or $50+ per season. :p
Problem is that is too much for not even being able to own it. If it is simply a 24hour watch window, or simply giving them access to HBO On Demand for that show for the season. It needs to be more reasonable priced. More impulse. 50$+? no way, but maybe like 20-25$ for the entire season. Sure why not?
 
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