Those who downloaded Games of Thrones after the first five episodes leaked online may well get a letter about their conduct, apparently.

Although HBO doesn't have addresses for those who downloaded - it could get them if it wanted, but it would need a court order to do so - so the letter is sent via ISPs and is just a warning. It's not clear if this is a global campaign either, or just one for the US.

Even so, HBO is actually pretty good about this sort of thing. It's no secret that Game of Thrones is the most pirated TV show in the world, but as a rule HBO is happy to let that slide. These recent episode leaks are a different matter though, and represent much more of a worry for HBO. After all, there's always a chance downloaders will enjoy a show so much that they will eventually subscribe, which is what - as a premium cable channel - HBO really wants.

Of course, in the UK your options are more limited, HBO's shows are exclusive to Sky Atlantic, although you can watch them online for £7 per month with Sky's Now TV service, which is pretty good value, although the quality won't approach HD levels, sadly.

All-in-all, it's not much of a surprise this has happened, but those who get letters may well have a bit of a panic about it. This is always a risk of downloading TV shows off the internet, and you could get a letter for anything from porn right through to a rubbish reality TV show.

Via: Huffington Post