Have real-life pirates taken aim at Disney?
Walt Disney CEO Bog Iger revealed Monday that hackers claiming to have access to a Disney movie are demanding a ransom. Iger didn’t disclose the name of the film, but said Disney isn’t paying. The company – which is working with federal investigators – is now waiting to see if the hackers makes good on the threat and release the movie.
Iger’s comments came during a town hall meeting with ABC employees in New York City, according to multiple sources.
The Disney chief said the hackers demanded that a huge sum be paid on Bitcoin. They are threatening to release five minutes of the film the first time and then in 20-minute chunks until their financial demands are met.
While movie piracy has long been a scourge, ransoms appear to be a new twist.
The ransom demand of Disney comes only weeks after a hacker uploaded 10 episodes of the upcoming season of Orange Is the New Black to The Pirate Bay after Netflix refused to pay an undisclosed amount. The episodes were posted on Pirate Bay six weeks ahead of the series’ official June 9 launch.
Several Hollywood agencies have also been targeted by hackers with extortion plots in recent months, including UTA, ICM and WME.
Disney’s upcoming theatrical release slate include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 26) and Cars 3 (June 16).
Read more: FBI Gives Hollywood Hacking Victims Surprising Advice: “Pay the Ransom”
Source:yahoo