As a nation of internet pirates Australians may not to be the lawbreaking scallywags we are often told we are.

A Choice survey shows that 67 per cent of us have never illicitly downloaded television shows or movie and pirates who do are also more likely to be paying for content through services such as iTunes and Apple TV.

More than half a million Australians are estimated to have downloaded Game of Thrones without paying for it, according to Foxtel.

The survey, conducted by iView for Choice in early November, asked 1046 participants about downloading programs and films.

The survey comes as federal Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull prepare to bring proposed changes to copyright laws to cabinet. Proposed changes include blocking Australians from accessing overseas websites that host pirated movies and shows.