Last week, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s
email system and other internal systems were hacked by a group
called “Guardian of Peace.” This week, five of the studio’s movies were leaked
online, including “Fury” and “Annie.” Oddly enough, the two incidents may not
be related because it is being reported that the movies, which have been
uploaded to many “torrent” websites, were ripped from DVDs.
Online piracy is a serious problem with
serious consequences. Two men were recently arrested in London for
the their role in leaking the movie “The Expendables
3,”
which had over 2.2 million views before it even hit theaters this past summer.
The theft of these five Sony movies likely could cost the studio hundreds of
millions of dollars before it is over, especially considering that four of the
five movies have not been released in theaters yet.
Online piracy is very detrimental to
encouraging creative content, so it is important that various groups work
together to quickly reduce it. The Motion Picture Association of America recently
released a new website, WheretoWatch.com, which helps
consumers quickly locate legal content online, in stores, or at the movies
theaters. Rightscorp is another good
tool that notifies Internet Service Providers, content companies, and consumers
when content is pirated online.
Although this recent Sony incident is a
step in the wrong direction, hopefully more tools that help secure strong intellectual
property rights, like WheretoWatch.com and Rightscorp,
will continue to emerge. The protection of intellectual property is essential for
encouraging more innovation, creative content, and economic growth.
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