Also, in addition to a few hundred from me per year, they would be getting a few hundred from hundreds of thousands of other people willing to pay for access without cable or in other countries with no HBO option.
As I said, I respect their right to make business decisions I disagree with. I will happily go on downloading and not giving them a dime, because I am never paying for cable again.
I have no qualms with obtaining their content through other means if they refuse to let me pay for it.
It's all a matter of when. They'll need to see some good numbers before they start providing their own channel for their content on the internet.
If they can't do their job by figuring it out, why do they feel entitled to anything?
Don't you think it is symmetric? HBO is doing what they want and making money. Torrenters are doing what they want and having entertainment.
So why blame people for stealing even if the owner doesn't? Who are you to blame anyone if the "victim" doesn't feel affected by "crime"? Who are you?
Not only that - they actively harm the whole market by doing so. People outside USA are forced to torrent their shows, and when they learned torrent they proceed to download other media, too, that they could have paid for.
You do not "take steps". "Taking steps" isn't the same as caring about something. The way they "take steps" is inherently peristaltic.
If you can't do your job by figuring it out, why do you feel entitled to keep strangers out of your home?
But you got the question wrong. There is no metaphor involving doors and locks about seller being unable to sell and thus losing money.