If you’re an Aussie Game Of Thrones fan who wants to do the right thing and pay for the show, but doesn’t want to shell out $30 a month for Foxtel, on top of the associated installation costs, then as of this month, you have one fewer option for doing so.
Per reports in Fairfax, cable giant HBO have cottoned on to the fact that numerous Aussies use geo-blocking software to access the HBO Now streaming service, and are about to shut it down.
An email sent to Australians using the US $14.99-per-month service said that they have until next Tuesday April 21 to explain themselves, after which, they will officially be cut off.
“It has come to our attention that you may have signed up for and viewed video content on the HBO NOW streaming service from outside of the authorised service area (the United States, including D.C. and certain US territories),” the email read.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the HBO NOW streaming service is only available to residents of the United States, for use within the United States. Any other access is prohibited by our Terms of Use.”
While various international commercial arrangements exist to protect copyrights, under the terms of the Australian Copyright Act, using VPNs to access overseas content is not illegal.
In other streaming news, Netflix shares have hit an all-time high following it recent growth, including its expansion into Australia, and it is now considered more valuable than US broadcast network CBS.
