As a poor college student I can't really deny the appeal of piracy but:
a) Saying 'hey, I can get this illegally for free' isn't really a valid economic argument.
b) Pirating HBO just, I dunno, feels wrong. They're a company with a unique economic model that consistently produces amazing television; even if it's on an incredibly micro scale, I think they should be rewarded for that.
I have begun to think of TV as a lossleader for DVD sales. At this point I mostly spy on what kind of shows people in the US talk about, read up on them and select one for my parents birthdays + christmas. My parents love this, I have no trouble buying them gifts(thanks to Amazon.co.uk) and there is a new market for HBO.
But yeah, HBO will earn more money when they get off cable-only.
a) Saying 'hey, I can get this illegally for free' isn't really a valid economic argument. b) Pirating HBO just, I dunno, feels wrong. They're a company with a unique economic model that consistently produces amazing television; even if it's on an incredibly micro scale, I think they should be rewarded for that.