Unauthorized downloads of TV shows are a fact of life today, as are efforts to curb them. If a chilling effect sets in, how might that affect how quickly international Doctor Who networks release the show? If the pressure to compete with file-sharers lessens, would that mean a longer lag time between the U.K. and other nations?
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Even if torrenting totally died tomorrow, something else would rise up and take its place.
Believe it or not, there were ways of getting illegal content before BitTorrent was invented
It isn't the first, it isn't the last.
Now since the US networks haven't been leaping energetically to give you guys day and date broadcasts of Who content (Torchwood notwithstanding), I don't see that changing if the 'threat' of torrenting went away.
The whole '3 strikes and you are out' idea is one that is mooted every year, nothing changes.