AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Spoiler alert - this story contains zero spoilers for the new HBO superhero series "Lanterns."
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RASCOE: But what is a spoiler, anyway? According to HBO, making a very educated guess counts. Back in March, Matt McGloin, a blogger and editor at Cosmic Book News, correctly guessed the ending of the show's first episode months before it aired. How did he make such an educated guess? McGloin had been analyzing publicly available materials from Warner Bros., like casting announcements and promotional materials. And turns out, other people online were reaching the same conclusion.
But just as the quote-unquote spoiler was gaining traction online, Warner Bros. stepped in. McGloin and a few other bloggers received takedown notices from the studio, claiming that these posts were in violation of copyright law. The good news for McGloin is that this is likely where it ends. In a prediction or spoiler of his own, legal journalist Eriq Gardner wrote this week for Puck News that Warner Bros. is not likely to take this to court. If anything, the studio already got what it wanted - getting spoilers offline before the series premiered.
As it goes in the "Lanterns" world, in brightest day and blackest night, no spoiler shall escape my sight. I think that's how it goes.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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