Following hack, pre-release Sony films hit the Internet in full DVD-screener quality

Earlier this week we reported that Sony Pictures' computer network had been taken down by a team calling themselves GOP (Guardians of Peace), with the attackers claiming that many terabytes of sensitive data had been taken and would be leaked if their demands were not met.

Now, it appears that the first leaks have hit the Internet, with a few Sony Pictures' films, many of which aren't set for release for a couple of months are now widely available on the Internet. Other documents released sadly include passport and visa information for Sony employees, hundreds of thousands of emails and even accounting and research details for Sony Pictures' IT systems.

Among the movies released are four that have not been released in theaters, and one popular film that only had one month in theaters. Among the films leaked are "Fury" with Brad Pitt, "Annie" with Jamie Foxx (release date December 19th), "Mr Turner," (release date December 19th), "Still Alice" with Alec Baldwin (release date January 16th, 2015) and "To Write Love on Her Arms," scheduled for release in March of next year.

It is unclear whether more full leaks of pre-release films will hit the Web in the coming days, but it is clear that someone may have been out to hurt Sony financially.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Nov 2014 12:54

doowop72

That's what you would call a "low blow".

30.11.2014 12:59 #1

Mrguss

It seams to me that more Corp. Hate is on our way.
Stay tune.

Live Free or Die.
The rule above all the rules is: Survive !
Capitalism: Funnel most of the $$$ to the already rich.

30.11.2014 15:15 #2

Bozobub

Wow. Something tells me Sony should have caved to the blackmailers; this is gonna get expensive.

30.11.2014 22:37 #3

DarthMopar

Tempted to look for Fury, but I really don't want to be someone's prison b#tch. I'm sure they will be on a head-hunt for pirates of these films.

30.11.2014 23:24 #4

Interestx

Quote: it is clear that someone may have been out to hurt Sony financially I'd love someone to show us an example of this actually hurting a major film corp.

People download the most successful films, by definition they are films that make many many millions.

So, where exactly is this 'hurt'?

Only by going along with the idiotic notion that every download is a lost sale (that would otherwise definitely have happened) can this be true but that is so evidently idiotic nonsense who on earth believes that rubbish?

The entertainment industry is one of the most profitable on the planet.
Fact.
Regardless of all the lying BS about so-called 'piracy'.
In fact it is nothing of the sort in the vast majority of cases.
Most downloading simply get something they would otherwise get anyway on their disc-equipped DVR (so keeping a recording can hardly be the point here) on the movie sub service they already pay for & have.
Show me the 'hurt', they're merely getting something they would get anyway at a time of their convenience & with a choice of quality in res and/or audio.
Big deal.
Couple that with the fact that most downloading buy the most and again it's just BS to claim any genuine 'hurt' here.

Sony's movie division isn't going to be 'hirt' by this at all, in fact the most likely outcome is greater disc sales when the DVD & Blu-ray's are released.

Strikes me this is mere publicity, afterall there's no such thing as bad publicity for these guys & a few lives destroyed with vindictive & wholly disproportionate fines in the futile pursuit of 'stopping piracy' is exactly what these types drool over.

It's quite evil really.

1.12.2014 17:31 #5

Bozobub

Sorry, I'm a pirate, but even I can see how the leak of a DVD-quality copy of a movie 2 months before it even hits the theaters WILL affect profits; it's not difficult to understand. Nor are the other documents and etc. any less expensive and/or damaging.

Additionally, are you seriously under the impression that passport and visa information isn't incredibly sensitive and valuable? Because you can sell that information as it stands, and/or use it to do things like take out false loans and other shenanigans.

1.12.2014 20:11 #6

ivymike

Message to companies & goverments: Don't be greedy. Don't put your own self interests above others and you won't piss off the hackers :-)

2.12.2014 04:10 #7

Interestx

Originally posted by Bozobub: Sorry, I'm a pirate, but even I can see how the leak of a DVD-quality copy of a movie 2 months before it even hits the theaters WILL affect profits; it's not difficult to understand. No need to be sorry, it's just discussion :)
However, it is extremely 'difficult to understand' when Sony's movie division remains incredibly profitable & this is merely another run for the done-to-death repeated mere assertion with no evidence to back it up.

Hit films will remain hit films selling cinema seats as well as ever and DVDs & Blu-rays equally well.

(with the proviso that these things are also cyclical, over time there are, as there have always been, periods of high sales and low depending on the economy, other entertainment etc - there is no God-given right for any or all things to be increasingly profitable in perpetuity)

What does happen is the excuse gets rolled out for rubbish films that were always destined to flop.
Rather than recognising they were rubbish films 'piracy' gets blamed.

Originally posted by Bozobub: Nor are the other documents and etc. any less expensive and/or damaging. Internal company documents/emails are another matter - & hardly what I was really referring to.

We already have laws about that, this shotgun approach to tie in 'piracy' is a nonsense.

Originally posted by Bozobub: Additionally, are you seriously under the impression that passport and visa information isn't incredibly sensitive and valuable? See above.

Originally posted by Bozobub: Because you can sell that information as it stands, and/or use it to do things like take out false loans and other shenanigans. Indeed - and I am not defending this either but it remains true that a host of companies are more than happy to collect & sell private information from their clients (legitimately) with the clients having little or indeed sometimes no say in this whatsoever.

That is a far bigger - and I would suggest much more relevant issue to more people - yet almost nothing about it is ever discussed in the wider media and certainly our law-makers (helpfully lobbied by the likes of Sony etc) do sweet FA about it.

But still, some films got sent out on the net to download, it's the end of right-thinking maximised profitable civilisation, well boo-hoo.

2.12.2014 08:35 #8

Interestx

An interesting angle on this story is in the UK news, the idea is being floated that it was done by the North Koreans in retaliation for Sony producing a film they claims to be an act of war and an "undisguised sponsoring of terrorism".

2.12.2014 17:44 #9

ivymike

I highly doubt it was Kim Jong Un.........He's too stupid to pull off something like this :-)

2.12.2014 22:34 #10

Interestx

Originally posted by ivymike: I highly doubt it was Kim Jong Un.........He's too stupid to pull off something like this :-) I don't think anyone suggested it was him personally.

I'm pretty sure Nth Korea's most talented software people (backed by a sovereign state's resources & will, not to mention 'free-lancers' hired abroad) are a reasonable suspect though.
Time will tell, eventually.

3.12.2014 00:05 #11

Mrguss

I don't think North Korea have anything to do with it.
That old history is running by U.S. & "South Korea" Think-Tanks (War Profiteers Corps.) ...Where any excuse is used to go into war with North Korea, Iran, etc.

More likely is an ex-employee(s) related "Some How" that want Sony's employees equality at work.

Just saying

Live Free or Die.
The rule above all the rules is: Survive !
Capitalism: Funnel most of the $$$ to the already rich.

3.12.2014 15:38 #12

scorpNZ

If fury is the best they can do then pre-releasing them as torrents will at least give em the chance to say piracy is why they all flopped,don't get me wrong fury had some good bits,sadly they were to few & far between,you'll be able to fast forward 3/4 of it

AD Guides: http://www.afterdawn.com guides/
Console Mod Tuts: http://www.realmodscene.com/

3.12.2014 21:00 #13

DVDBack23

Originally posted by scorpNZ: If fury is the best they can do then pre-releasing them as torrents will at least give em the chance to say piracy is why they all flopped,don't get me wrong fury had some good bits,sadly they were to few & far between,you'll be able to fast forward 3/4 of it No way. One of the best war movies of the last two decades.

AfterDawn News
AfterDawn Guides
One of the largest collections of software on the Web: AfterDawn Software Section

3.12.2014 23:16 #14

vf143

That is what happens when a corporation gets greedy and buys out the completion. Sony Blueray buys out Toshiba HD DVD.

4.12.2014 09:40 #15

DXR88

The whole affair reeks of inside job.

4.12.2014 19:23 #16

DXR88

Originally posted by vf143: That is what happens when a corporation gets greedy and buys out the completion. Sony Blueray buys out Toshiba HD DVD. The last thing anybody wants or needs is two disc formats that do the same damned thing. HD-DVD lost just like Beta-Max and Laser Disc. Laser Disc was impractical, Beta-Max while better than its competition was plagued by costs the consumer wouldn't be willing to pay. HD-DVD lost because they didn't have the studio's backing them up.

The lesson you should have taken away from the format wars is this "do not pick a technology until there is only one clear victor."

4.12.2014 19:40 #17

AfterDawn: News