Trying but not succeeding.
That is the best way to describe HBO’s current efforts to cut down on piracy, as the company has announced that they are no longer giving reviewers DVD copies of their TV shows and movies. The companies new anti piracy policy seems miniscule, but is said by many to be a shift in how people will be trusted with HBO’s upcoming content.
The new policy comes after four episodes of the upcoming Game Of Thrones season was leaked on the internet by what is believed to be a review DVD. HBO will still offer its reviewers early access to upcoming content, but will now require that they do so on a secure server provide by HBO.
While no one in their right mind can honestly believe that this measure will stop piracy and online leaks altogether, it is understandable that HBO would make some kind of change to their policy, following the premature release of one of their most popular shows earlier this year.
While the new policy might look to be a solid solution to the problem to some, reviewers could still simply use screen capture devices or even their mobile phones to get the content off the streaming service. If HBO wants to keep their content secure, they are definitely going to have to something better then this.
If I were HBO, I would be enforcing much stricter rules. HBO needs to have the reviewers follow certain protocol in order to be able to review content at all. Phones need to be off, computers should not have any other windows or applications running , and most of all, anyone caught still leaking content online should be banned from doing reviews from HBO. I would even go as far to say that, someone from HBO should monitor the review as it is happening.
Extreme I know, but if HBO truly wants to get serious about their content and make sure nothing like this happens again, then these are the kinds of rules they need to enforce.
What do you think of HBO’s new policy regarding anti piracy measures? Do you think this will help prevent piracy, or just blow up in HBO’s face in the end? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
