It shouldn't come as a surprise that online piracy really doesn't sit too well with television executives. They work hard and invest millions of dollars into programming, only for episodes to leak in their entirety online. That's a bummer.
But what also irks TV execs is the sharing of spoilers from those leaked episodes. Take AMC, for example. The network is cracking down on "Walking Dead" spoilers in advance of this Sunday's season finale, even going so far as to bring copyright infringement threats against fan-run websites such as The Spoiling Dead Fans and The Walking Dead Enthusiasts. As a result, TSDF (which we here at HNGN use as a great resource), are banned from posting anything on social media until the season finale has aired.
That's pretty intense.
Lucky for us, TSDF were able to post the audio for the final 11 minutes of this Sunday's finale, meaning all of you can check out Negan's hardcore debut right here. Then again, it was this initial post that caused AMC to issue a DMCA take-down notice, putting the Spoiling Dead Fans right in the cross-hairs for their Facebook page.
Hi EveryoneThe staff at TSDF wanted to let everyone know that the page is locked to them, courtesy of AMC for the next...
Posted by The Spoiling Dead Fans on Thursday, March 31, 2016
On one hand, you can understand where the network is coming from. The season six finale has been touted by cast and crew as one of the best episodes in the six-year run of "The Walking Dead." Star Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) said he "couldn't speak" after watching a rough cut of the episode and noted that it was the most "hardcore" of any "Walking Dead" installment that he has filmed. It's understandable why the network doesn't want any details leaking ahead of time.
On the other hand, AMC is trying to make an example of The Spoiling Dead Fans in order to scare off any other like-minded sites. When it comes down to it, posting spoilers that are received second-hand isn't a crime, and there's nothing AMC can do to put an end to it in the long-term. It isn't blatant piracy or theft of intellectual property, so the network may be overreacting just a bit.
Similar to the show itself, it's all a bloody mess. But where do you side on this issue? Let us know in the comments below.
"The Walking Dead" will air its season six premiere on AMC this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
