Thread: Piracy actually a good thing?

Piracy Good For Television Shows Says GAME OF THRONES Director


Piracy or illegal downloads if you will, have been a bit of a hot topic in the last few years and have prompted the U.S. government to take a more active and severe stance on the practice. But what does the director of the most pirated show on television think about it?

Game of Thrones is the most pirated show on television with a staggering 3.9 million illegal downloads per episode. And while various governments dish out strict penalties for the practice to those they repeatedly catch, Game of Thrones director David Petrarca thinks the social media impact that results from illegal downloads outweigh the negatives of losing official viewers. Check out what Petrarca had to say at a recent Q&A panel, courtesy of WinterIsComing.net.

Panel mediator Rosemary Neill noted Game of Thrones was the most pirated show of 2012 and that 10 per cent of the downloads came from Australia.

But Petrarca shrugged and said the illegal downloads did not matter because such shows thrived on ?cultural buzz? and capitalised on the social commentary they generated.

?That?s how they survive,? he told the crowd gathered at the University of Western Australia.

Do you think that's true? Petrarca has recently backtracked on that initial statement now that it's become a hot topic and HBO has since issued an official statement declaring that they don't share the same views. A lot of fans have argued Petrarca's initial point over the years, citing that there are some places in the world where it's impossible to see certain television shows without the internet. In other areas, the television show may lag behind the U.S. season which means trips to social media run the risk of having a particular plot point spoiled. Illegal downloads probably aren't the answer and new technology is currently being developed to deter the practice but the previously mentioned issues must also be addressed if the practice is to be completely stamped out. Game of Thrones season 3 premieres March 31st on HBO.

I pirated Sleeping Dogs to try it. I liked it so much that I purchased the Game and around 85% of the DLC.