But thanks to Twitter and Facebook, as well as the more old-fashioned forums and email lists, a storyline can be ruined by ‘spoilers’ emanating from those in regions who gain access to the show first – a recurring theme of the BBC show over the last years.

It’s about time someone started paying attention to the concerns of fans – something we pointed out back in 2008 – so ABC’s decision to place the show on its iview service is strongly welcomed.

“Piracy is wrong, as you are denying someone their rights and income for their intellectual property,” said ABC1 controller Brendan Dahill.

“The fact that it is happening is indicative that as broadcasters we are not meeting demand for a segment of the population. So as broadcasters we need to find convenient ways of making programs available via legal means to discourage the need for piracy,” he added.

The Dr Who show will be available on the iview ‘catch up’ service moments after the episode finishes airing in the UK, although those who prefer to watch on their TV will still have to wait until September 8th. While fans would prefer it aired sometime on the Sunday, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

This is not the first time a sonic screwdriver has been pointed at a broadcast schedule. Transatlantic Whovians got a taste of same-day showings last spring, and will do so again this year. For others however, FACT’s actions against the expat-focused site UKNova over the weekend could not have come at a worse time.

Will ABC’s actions pay off? We will wait and see.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Whereas some people may download a movie to avoid the cost, TV shows offer something different. People are generally able to watch these shows for free on regular TV, but still, due to superior convenience and greater availability, those same people choose to get their fix from BitTorrent instead.

In Australia right now, online piracy is a hot topic, with anti-piracy outfits going as far as trying to hold ISPs accountable for the infringing actions of their customers, and the ‘firewall’ of Australia threatening to target BitTorrent. But when it comes to deterring piracy it seems the big studios are blind to some of the small things they can do to make the situation better, instead of continually going to war with pirates – a war they simply cannot win.

The TV show Doctor Who, like many shows, has a ‘Christmas Special’. This episode, unsurprisingly, will air Christmas Day on the BBC in the UK. In it the Doctor will have one of his trademark re-incarnations, a very important event for fans of the series. The problem for Australian viewers is simple – ABC who have the rights to the show think that Christmas Day falls on January 25th 2009 down-under, as this is the date it will air there, officially at least.

But of course, Doctor Who fans know about BitTorrent, the show has appeared in our most pirated TV show lists and was even subject to a major ‘leak‘ of its own.

Thanks to ABC’s short-sightedness, thousands of Australians will pirate this episode of their favorite show just minutes after it finishes airing in the UK and a month ahead of its official launch. It’s not just The Doctor who is capable of time-traveling these days.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Disney doesn’t see itself as just a broadcaster or a cable channel, but as a provider of content and will do all it can to make that content available to its viewers in whatever form they prefer

However, it seems like Disney is only taking action once they start losing money. At least, that’s what I make up from the following passage in Sweeney’s talk.

Coming “face to face” with the high-quality, commercial-free pirated version (of desperate housewives) told Disney that it was not just competing with other broadcasters, but with digital pirates and as such was an experience that prompted us to do the iTunes deal with Apple.

So it looks like it were the Pirates that motivated Disney to progress. Anyway, it’s a step forward. I’m wondering how many pirated movies it takes before the first Disney blockbuster movie premieres online.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.