Sony to media: stop publishing our stolen stuff or we'll get nasty

Sony Pictures Entertainment has reportedly written a tersely-worded letter to lots of media outlets that have run stories based on material supposedly liberated from its servers. Any stroll through mainstream media today will encounter all manner of salacious celebrity gossip, much of it attributed to emails accessed during …

[Mark 85]

A variation of the Barbra Streisand defense*?

So if everyone follows the intent of their letter, Sony will never be heard from again? Hmm.... <flips coin> Tough decision. Ok El Reg.. you have to stop posting articles about this as the info might be stolen. <cough>

*As opposed to B.S. who's fame skyrocketed?

[Mikel]

Ah, Sony

Remind us again why we despise you.

[Ole Juul]

Re: Ah, Sony

Remind us again why we despise you.

And I'm sure they will. Again and again, until they're gone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Ah, Sony

Because the internet told you to.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Ah, Sony

Karma is a bitch.

[thomas k.]

Sony Entertainment

Always finding new ways to keep us entertained.

[BillG]

Re: Sony Entertainment

"Please don't post the truth that leaked. It gets in the way of the lies we sell."

- Sony Entertainment

[DasBub]

Sony should hire the leakers.

After all, they've managed to do something truth amazing: they've made Sony newsworthy.

[Trevor_Pott]

Re: Sony should hire the leakers.

Don't give them ideas! Just let Sony die. It's time. They need to die. Please, for the love of all that's holy let this be Sony's end.

[RAMChYLD]

Re: Sony should hire the leakers.

But if Sony dies, Malaysia will have no more online videogaming services :( Microsoft and Nintendo refuses to serve Malaysia, giving all sorts of lame excuses, and only Sony has officially launched the PS3/4 as well as the online services here. Sure, Apple and Google are alright, but well, the former don't make consoles, and the latter, well, the Ouya, according to Ashens, is a steaming pile of crap. And Steam, well, they're apparently determined to shoot themselves in the foot, by making it so that Malaysians cannot pay by PayPal (MOL Points? Why must I pay by scratch prepaid cash cards? I thought the 90s was over 14 years ago!), and selling only Japanese games in a country where most people can't speak Japanese (ie the PC port of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy is Japanese only in Asia, Malaysia included). On the other hand Sony actually sold the English version in stores for the PS3 over here. So while I think Sony Pictures deserve to die, well, Sony Computer Entertainment is at least respectable despite their flaws (*cough*PS3Linux*cough*) at least to me.

[Trevor_Pott]

Re: Sony should hire the leakers.

That's not a question of "Sony are not evil and thus don't deserve to die". It's a question of "evil is the only option".

The big question to hand is why everyone is hating on Malaysia? Are there embargos against it? Reasons the payment processors of the day refuse to play ball? Seems to me companies like Microsoft and Nintendo don't just geoblock an entire nation without good reason...

[RAMChYLD]

Re: Sony should hire the leakers.

Well, afaik, in Nintendo's case it's not so much as embargo as apathy. Nintendo actually doesn't serve 90% of Asia from what I understand (the only countries in Asia getting their service are South Korea and Japan) and Microsoft's case from what I heard is actually convoluted. There's no official word, different Microsoft sources have fingered different things (ranging from piracy to poor broadband infrastructure. Some even said that it's Microsoft Singapore blocking the launch because they're afraid that Microsoft Malaysia's services would be cheaper and Singaporeans would dump their Singaporean accounts in droves to create Malaysian ones- in other words, corporate backstabbing, customers be damned, nevermind that it could've been avoided if both countries' services are identically priced. In fact, Microsoft haven't even launched the XBox One in Malaysia even though they already did in Singapore- nevermind that the AMD APU found in the Xbone is made in Malaysia). To be honest, they at least made it possible to have a basic XBox Live account and buy games online as of late, but that's it. No TV or music, no online play or even basic internet browsing because Malaysians are not allowed to get a Gold account. On the other hand, Sony would also happily allow Malaysians to buy a PS Plus account and have officially launched the PS4 over here.

PS: The services aren't actually geoblocked per se- you can get away with lying about your location, although both are blocking payments made by credit cards from countries that they don't have services in.

[RAMChYLD]

Re: Sony should hire the leakers.

I should probably add that the 360 isn't officially launched in Malaysia either- most of us imported our sets from Singapore or even from the US.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Sony should hire the leakers.

If the PS4 vs XBone launch showed anything it is that Microsoft needs competition in the console market. Even with the PS4 selling more the XBone is still more crippled and restricted.

[solo]

Cooperation in destroying the Stolen Information..? WTF

Break the Internet. It has the copies all over it.

On a side note, if I am running a publishing house and publish lies intently that the stolen data suggests that all the suits of the company are gays (not implying bad), will they still sue me? I am not actually posting any truth copied from the 'stolen data'.

Oh, and what if it is that is the truth. Their options seem limited and funny.

[Wzrd1]

Re: Cooperation in destroying the Stolen Information..? WTF

"On a side note, if I am running a publishing house and publish lies intently that the stolen data suggests that all the suits of the company are gays (not implying bad), will they still sue me?"

Well, you'd be better served giving them all small penises and using pseudonyms that are readily transparent.

It's a defense rule in many courts called the small penis rule.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_penis_rule

[dogged]

Re: Cooperation in destroying the Stolen Information..? WTF

> Break the Internet.

Which of Kim Kardashian's bodyparts will they use for that?

[SW10]

Re: Cooperation in destroying the Stolen Information..? WTF

"Most celebrity-obsessed media, I think, don't even know what Stolen Information is, so why should they care about it?"

With apologies for mis-quoting Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's Global Digital Business President (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4989260)

[A Non e-mouse]

Journalistic Truth

[Y]our correspondent worked for a publishing house the[sic] also printed celebrity rags and learned that there was not always a close relationship between the truth and their content.

I thought the journalist's motto was: "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story"?

[The obvious]

Re: Journalistic Truth

Only if you work for the Daily Mail

[Charlie Clark]

Re: Journalistic Truth

Coicidentally watched the excellent Hacks again at the weekend. Fantastic and given it's blatant piss-take of Murdoch and co. I was surprised it ever got broadcast. Can't find it on 4oD at the moment, is that merely a coincidence?

[Irongut]

Re: Journalistic Truth

Try Drop The Dead Donkey instead. Much funnier and available on Netflix.

[Tom 13]

Re: Journalistic Truth

No it's worse than that. You can print just about anything as long as somebody else said it, at least on this side of the pond. You Brits thankfully throw in a bit about not knowingly publishing defamatory claims, but even that is sometimes a low barrier.

[PleebSmash]

dear Reg

Will you be continuing to post stories quoting the leaked material, assuming Kim Jong-un greenlights further leaks?

[Nathan Brathahn]

How Do We Know?

How are we supposed to know the documents are stolen unless SPE publishes all stolen documents themselves?

[Anonymous Coward]

Much rattling of the barn door after the horse has already disappeared over the horizon.

"Those who don't comply, the letter warns, will be held responsible for any losses the company or third parties experience."

Good try at shifting blame. Meanwhile, the rest of the world will be blaming whoever left all of this stuff on poorly-secured internet-facing servers. And we will be pointing and laughing.

[Wzrd1]

"Meanwhile, the rest of the world will be blaming whoever left all of this stuff on poorly-secured internet-facing servers."

I've watched someone pop into a DMZ server, then ride the firewall pinholes in to ravage and plunder. Fortunately, the individual was rapidly noticed and the doors slammed in their face.

Regrettably, they did have time to create new doors that had to be chased down.

We'll suffice it to say, those who left the server vulnerable were asked to seek employment elsewhere.

Now, we know where they got new jobs, Sony.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not quite sure what I pulled a downvote for just then. I don't recall any compensation; attempts to make good; or even sympathy for having to clean up their rootkit mess. Nor do I recall any response but "tough bollocks" when they nuked the linux setup on their games machine without warning or options (I would have been in the market for one of those at the time, had Sony not already been on my shitlist).

If Sony are expecting anything but a Nelson Munz "HAha!" -certainly from me- then they'd better prepare for disappointment.

[Anonymous Coward]

LOL, like you had to clean up the rootkit mess. Those CD's never made it to these shores, and in thwe US, it affected 10,000 CD's, the vast majority of which were recalled from stored before they even got to consumers.

So the chances are, 500 to 1000 CD's made it out into the wild.... In other words, it's about 1/200th as widespread as the Energizer battery charger virus.. I'm guessing you don't buy Enengizer batteries for the same moral reason right?

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/1280092304/Energizer-battery-charger-contains-Trojan-virus-warns-Cert

However, I guess, in your little world, you never really "experienced" either, and your head has been filled with internet hate...

[Ben Tasker]

Those CD's never made it to these shores, and in thwe US, it affected 10,000 CD's, the vast majority of which were recalled from stored before they even got to consumers.

So the chances are, 500 to 1000 CD's made it out into the wild....

Because they got caught...... Had they not (or had it taken longer) how many then?

Not, though, that I believe the employees should have to bear the brunt of that. I also very much doubt this is entirely, if at all, about that.

[John Brown (no body)]

"the Energizer battery charger virus"

Unless you have evidence stating otherwise, that was a cockup rather than Sonys deliberate rootkit attempt.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Those CD's never made it to these shores"

Beg to differ.

[The Other Steve]

Cyber Sec victim blaming ? Plus ça change ...

"Meanwhile, the rest of the world will be blaming whoever left all of this stuff on poorly-secured internet-facing servers. And we will be pointing and laughing."

Yeah, Sony were wearing a short skirt, so obviously they were asking for it. And anyway, they deserve it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Cyber Sec victim blaming ? Plus ça change ...

Nice imagery, but your comparison is incomplete if you don't mention -to run with your metaphor- that Sony have themselves been caught raping; and wandered away scot-free with no thought for the victims.

Moreover, -still running- Sony's attack was on literal and metaphorical innocents; whereas you would expect a company that large and aggressive to be packing the metaphorical equivalent of a can of mace and a couple of beefy bodyguards.

I feel sorry as hell for everyone who's been caught up in this; but Sony -the corporation- absolutely do deserve it. Not vindictive or interested enough to take part, but I won't mourn Sony's passing, if it comes to that.

[Anonymous Coward]

"a program to identify and destroy any copies of Sony-derived data"

...because we can all trust software from Sony not to have a rootkit in it, can't we?

[VinceH]

Re: "a program to identify and destroy any copies of Sony-derived data"

Upon reading that, my first thought was the suggestion of malware designed to seek out and destroy Sony's stolen data - then I read the letter.

Simon could have phrased that better - unless he wanted people to interpret it like that, in which case he phrased it perfectly.

[Grikath]

Re: "a program to identify and destroy any copies of Sony-derived data"

Well yeah, you read that particular juicy bit, and the first thing you think is: "They can't possily be that stupid, can they?!", and then you realise that, yes, they are...

It only serves to show how much whole sections of Sony are divorced from reality, and that the people/attitude that gave rise to the rootkit episode have neither moved nor learned from the experience..

[VinceH]

I wonder how long before they turn this whole pwnage into a movie, portraying themselves as good and wholesome, and whoever perpetrated it as evil terrorists.

[Alister]

It would have to be classified as a fantasy then...

[Someone Else]

...by Paramount...

[Anonymous Coward]

Scummy little rootkitters

Funny how its all wrong when you're the one getting stuffed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Consumers to Sony

If you'd let us decide how and where to use the media we'd purchased from you, instead of treating us as criminals by default, you'd be getting an easier ride now.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Consumers to Sony

Problem is, toerags like GeoHot have clearly shown that consumers can't be trusted with nice things.

Sony gave us PS3 Linux, but toerags like GeoHot attempted to use it as a hole to steal games. PS3Linux removed as a result

Ditto for First4Internet. They were only employed because freetards were copying music rather than paying for it...

[DavCrav]

Re: Consumers to Sony

"Problem is, toerags like GeoHot have clearly shown that consumers can't be trusted with nice things."

You mean nice things like bans on grey importing, geolocking, DRM, and my personal favourite for the EU common market: charging wildly different prices for DVDs in different parts of the common market, and removing (for example) the German dub off the UK-released DVD so they can sell it for more there.

[RAMChYLD]

Re: Consumers to Sony

Well, funny you should bring up region-locking, considering that Sony have mostly stuck to their word and that the PS3 only has two region-locked games while many 360 games are not playable on Asian consoles at all, and some of them are region-locked to the hilt...

[DavCrav]

Well, if the governments of the US and UK cannot go after newspapers for damaging Snowden stories, I'm going to guess Sony doesn't have a hope in hell.

[Anonymous Coward]

"arms length" defense?

If say NBC ran a story on the evening news that said "websites who have seen the latest Sony material say that it includes the following", so they Sony can't get them for ever possessing the material? NBC would just be reporting the news, so I think it would be hard for Sony to successful sue them.

[Tom 13]

Re: "arms length" defense?

That works right up until you get the official letter from Sony. Once Sony give you official notice, arms length is no longer a defense. Unless you can first invalidate the official notice.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "arms length" defense?

On what legal basis could Sony sue for reporting on what others are saying?

Anyway, even if they stop the major networks and AP from reporting it, there are approximately eleventy bazillion websites out there, and Sony can't send them all a letter. People who want to know what is going on can find them easily via Google, and some countries with different laws will have media that reports on it and Sony won't be able to do anything.

I wonder if they're fearful over the "Christmas surprise" that GOP has promised? Maybe something that will expose the famous "Hollywood accounting" and show evidence they knowingly screwed over people who have a "percentage". That could end them.

[emocracy]

Re: "arms length" defense?

Problem is Sony did not include Material Safety Data Sheets with their leaked (toxic and flamable) lithium ion batteries.

[Someone Else]

Re: "arms length" defense?

That works right up until you get the official letter from Sony.

The "official letter" is bollocks (bullshit, for our American readers). Boies is a good lawyer, but I don't think he will want to get into a 1st Amendment mix-up, especially when this is a clear attempt at prior restraint, which the Supremes have repeatedly rejected.

[Jonathan Richards 1]

Re: "arms length" defense?

Boies may or may not be a good lawyer, but he doesn't always accept winning propositions. For reasons I shall never be able to fathom, he took on SCO v. IBM... acting for SCO!

[Mark 85]

Hmmm... I wonder

if there's a Sony bot or loyal employee hitting the downvote button? Just a peculiar pattern here.

[stringyfloppy]

SONY, BONY!

Sorry, SONY, that's what you get for renaming the AT&T Building the SONY Building.

[emocracy]

Sony batteries leaked. Sony has attempted to cover up its leaking lithium ion batteries for years. Nothing new except for lawyer.

[Donald Becker]

Notice who the letter was signed by?

When you don't have a legal teeth for your bite, you need to get the dog with the loudest bark. And hope the recipients don't notice that the bark is an unsupportable threat.

Or that they see you spent a whole bunch of money on the biggest bark and wouldn't hesitate to break you with legal fees, even when they know it's a bogus case.

[Someone Else]

Dear Sony...

15 Dec 14

Sony Pictures Entertainment

12345 Password Ln.

Hollywood, CA

Dear Sony:

With respect to your attempt at intimidation in the form of a letter from Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, we have given full and due consideration to said letter, and our response is as follows: Here's a hammer, there's the beach.

Sincerely,

Big Mejia Outlet

101 Main St.

Anytown, USA 54321

(This looked a lot better before it was auto-formatted...)