According to figures released by TorrentFreak, it is so far the fastest copied content illegally using BitTorrent protocol. Just hours after first files from the first episode of the new season of Game of Thrones were uploaded, 163,088 people distributed this torrent, which is a record number for a single file. It also said that from these numbers 110,303 people shared the complete file, and 52,786 were still in process of downloading.

At TorrentFreak believe that only two days after the airing of the first episode, it was downloaded illegally more than a million times. What is worth mentioning is that HBO’s programming president Michael Lombardo stated that he does not fear piracy, but rather consider it a compliment and a way that users show appreciation and interest for the show.

[Ed - It is very interesting that HBO sees the number of downloads as a compliment rather than something to fear. This is in stark contrast to others in the entertainment industry that seem to take piracy as a personal insult. Although we are sure it is not an indication that HBO will evern offer the series for free or allow HBO Go (HBO's streaming service) to be available without an HBO Subscription over cable, it is still nice to see this attutiude.]

Tell us what you think in our Forum