Twitter - H 2014
AP ImagesSony has threatened Twitter with legal action if the company does not stop the dissemination of hacked material over its social network, Motherboard reports.
David Boies, the high-profile lawyer that Sony Pictures has hired to deal with the legal fallout resulting from the cyber attack on the studio, sent a letter to Twitter general counsel Vijaya Gadde that says if “stolen information continues to be disseminated by Twitter in any manner,” Sony will “hold Twitter responsible for any damage or loss arising from such use or dissemination by Twitter.”
Motherboard also reports that Sony asked Twitter to share the letter with Val Broeksmit, a Twitter user who uses the handle @bikinrobotarmy and who has been posting screen shots of hacked Sony emails. Motherboard said it obtained the letter and emails between Sony and Twitter from Broeksmit.
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In addition to holding Twitter responsible for dissemination of stolen Sony property, the company also demanded that Twitter “comply with all future requests with regard to any other account holder seeking to disseminate the Stolen Information via Twitter. In addition, we ask that you provide the Account Holder with a copy of this letter, and request that the account holder cease publication of the stolen information on Twitter.”
Read more Sony Hack: Legal Risks for Years to Come
Boies’ letter to Twitter is similar to a letter sent to journalists cautioning them against using “stolen” information that hackers have leaked about the studio. The Hollywood Reporter was among the news groups that received the letter, which doesn’t reference specific stories but instead discusses general coverage of the hack.
“We are writing to ensure that you are aware that SPE does not consent to your possession, review copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading or making any use of the stolen information, and to request your cooperation in destroying the stolen information,” the letter reads.
The letter adds that the leak is the result of “an on-going campaign explicitly seeking to prevent SPE from distributing a motion picture.” The hackers are “using the dissemination of both private and company information for the stated purpose of materially harming SPE unless SPE submits and withdraws the motion picture from distribution.”
The film in question is The Interview, which the studio pulled from its planned Dec. 25 release.
Read more Sony Hack: Legal Department Under Microscope After Latest Leak
