Just as a piracy crackdown is happening across the world, users are coming up with more creative ways to get the content they desire.
The highly-anticipated premiere of Game of Thrones Season 5 on Monday morning (or Sunday evening if you are in the U.S.) was live streamed by dozens of users on the app Periscope, according to Mumbrella.
The social streaming app, which is the Twitter-owned competitor to Meerkat, provided the ability for people around the world to watch the episode in real time albeit in low quality. This was particularly helpful for Australians who do not have a Foxtel subscription, the company who holds the rights locally, or do not have HBO access in the U.S.
A source close to Periscope told Mashable Australia "anyone who violates the terms of service will be suspended or shut down." The punishment for violating terms can vary from a warning to permanent suspension, depending on the nature of the infringement, yet copyright issues will lead to the account being shut down permanently.
A spokesperson for Twitter, that acquired the company in March, told Mashable Australia users should be aware of Periscope's Terms of Service, which state accounts can be terminated for infringement.
The terms say the company "respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users to do the same." It also makes it clear all content published on the app is the sole responsibility of the user and the company will not be liable to losses associated with content published.
"We reserve the right to remove content alleged to be infringing without prior notice and at our sole discretion. In appropriate circumstances, Periscope will also terminate a user’s account if the user is determined to be a repeat infringer," the terms state.
Game of Thrones is the most popular show to be illegally download in the world, with Australia being a nation brimming with pirates.
Fans are eager to suck the action up any way they can -- seen when fans lost their minds at a four-episode leak on Sunday -- and apps like Periscope are creating a whole new nightmare for right holders.