Question

Lena is completing her senior year of college and is living in an apartment with three friends. Her family has a subscription to HBO Go, and Lisa is able to use the log-on ID and password while she’s at college. Lena does not have cable TV or satellite TV as she typically streams shows or movies that are available online for free or through HBO Go. Several of Lena’s friends don’t have a subscription to Hulu, so Lena has given them her log-on ID and password so they can watch their shows. She doesn’t mind sharing the HBO Go subscription with her friends—what could it hurt? She has heard that the entertainment industry and HBO Go are upset over people sharing their subscription to the streaming services in this way. Lena’s sharing of her family’s HBO Go subscription is an example of:________
a) streaming piracy
b) illegal sharing
c) consumer copying
d) consumer misbehavior
e) digital stealing

Answer 1

Answer:

d) consumer misbehavior

Explanation:

This is an example of consumer misbehavior. What Lena is doing is not technically piracy or illegal because HBO has created the family feature on their accounts for the account to be used by multiple people at the same time. Yet, the feature was not intended to be used by individuals that are not technically family or even under the same roof. Therefore, what Lena is doing goes against HBO's reason for this feature and sharing the account as Lena is doing is ultimately hurting HBO's streaming service.