It can cause a lot of trouble
Published: Sun 23 Jul 2017, 8:49 PM
Updated: Mon 24 Jul 2017, 9:41 AM
Residents in the UAE enjoy a good TV show - after all, it's one of the greatest pastimes to enjoy during the weekends. However, watching TV shows through illegal means, can land people in trouble.
According to a report by the Independent, television network HBO have started to clamp down on people downloading and sharing illegal links to the hit series 'Game of Thrones'. The network and its anti-piracy partner, IP Echelon are monitoring popular torrent sites with the intention of taking down the links to the show's episodes.
The network sent messages to internet service providers with details of customers that allegedly use connections for piracy. Below is an excerpt of the warning message:
"We have information leading us to believe that the IP address [redacted] was used to download or share Game of Thrones without authorization (additional details are listed below)
"HBO owns the copyright or exclusive rights to Game of Thrones, and the unauthorized download or distribution constitutes copyright infringement."
Downloading and uploading torrents is illegal in the UAE. Earlier this year, a man was arrested for being the administrator of a pirate website in UAE. The 'pirate' was jailed and ordered to pay a Dh50,000 fine for uploading torrents of the popular television shows.