The FBI is investigating a cyber attack and Brad Pitt’s Fury and Annie the new musical are two of the five Sony films that are now streaming online illegally. Here’s what I know since covering piracy as far back as Napster. Today, every major Hollywood studio uses encryption technology to track sources of leaked films.
In this case, it is suspected to have been sourced from a DVD screener often circulated to Hollywood’s voting elite ahead of awards like the Oscars. Hollywood insiders know that a unique watermark is embedded in each disk. This leaves a trail of evidence for investigators. The missing link would be how it got from the DVD to being uploaded to the internet. That’s the next answer security experts are scrambling to track down.
Watch my appearance on Entertainment Tonight below where I discuss what this means for Hollywood.