[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by psyang

I like the comic, but there are two things that come to mind when I read it. First, why does anyone feel they have the right to watch whatever show they want whenever they want just because it has been aired somewhere? That sense of entitlement is the source of a lot of the piracy justifications.

Moral argument aside, the second point is that he didn't want to buy HBO to watch a show which is understandable. But this is actually why HBO can afford to make quality shows in the first place. They get cable providers to pay HBO a lot of money for the right of offering HBO to their customers. There is reduced risk to HBO wehther a show succeeds or fails - they have their money, they can use it as they wish. As a result, they are willing to take more risks when producing content, like Oz, The Sopranos, The Wire like The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Boardwalk Empire etc. etc. There's a reason why many quality/groundbreaking shows are coming from HBO.

Piracy, then, can reduce HBO's value, which can put more pressure on HBO to produce more mass-appeal content.

Who cares about the morality of piracy? The guy wants to watch the show. He's willing to PAY and even goes to great lengths to obtain the show in a legitimate way. And he isn't saying he doesn't want to buy HBO. He even goes directly to their site. He doesn't want to sign up for antiquated cable, paying for a bunch of bundles he doesn't want or need just so he can watch one show. From a business standpoint, why wouldn't you want to provide an option for people like this to obtain your media in a legitimate way?

Do you honestly think that HBO is going to lose out by offering a digital online subscription to their channel? This isn't entitlement. It's an untapped and ignored market. Provide alternatives not roadblocks.