Hacker Leaks 'Orange Is the New Black' Episodes After Failing To Extort Netflix (bleepingcomputer.com)

An anonymous reader writes: "A hacker (or hacker group) known as The Dark Overlord (TDO) has leaked the first ten episodes of season 5 of the "Orange Is The New Black" show after two failed blackmail attempts, against Larson Studios and Netflix," reports BleepingComputer. The hacker said he stole hundreds of gigabytes of audio files from Larson Studios last December. "TDO claims the studio initially agreed to pay a ransom of 50 Bitcoin ($67,000) by January 31, and the two parties even signed a contract, albeit TDO signed it using the name 'Adolf Hitler.'" This might have been the reason why the company thought this was a joke and didn't pay the ransom as initially agreed.

At this point, the hacker turned from the studio to Netflix, but the company didn't want to pay either. As a warning, the hacker leaked the first episode of season 5, but half a day later, he leaked 9 more. "According to Netflix's website, season 5 is supposed to have 13 episodes and is scheduled for release in June, this year." The hacker also claims he's in possession of shows and movies from other movie studios and television channels, such as FOX, IFC, NAT GEO, and ABC. Some of the titles include "Celebrity Apprentice," "NCIS Los Angeles," "New Girl," and "XXX The return of Xander Cage".

Comments

Who cares.

[Anonymous Coward]

If you have Netflix, you'll watch it when it comes out in June.
If you pirate, you'll pirate it when it comes out in June.

This is only letting pirates get it early, but they can't talk about it mainstream, lest they out themselves as a pirate.

Wow

[kamapuaa]

What a triumph of free speech.

Re:Wow

[JaredOfEuropa]

What about those who pay for Netflix but aren't getting content in a timely manner (most series), see content disappear after a year (there's been a terrible purge here recently), or aren't getting the content at all? The availability and selection in certain smaller countries is kind of rubbish compared to what one gets in the US or the UK. So yes, in some cases even Netflix subscribers have to resort to Bittorrent. Maybe this is due to outdated license models, where one can buy the rights to show something in country X for a period of Y months or some such, instead of a license granting the right to show it everywhere for a certain amount per view. In the meantime I sure hope my country will at some point revive its old policy on piracy: "If content isn't available legally, then we don't prosecute people who pirate it". If you don't sell your content here, you should have no recourse against pirates; remember that copyright is not a natural right but something cooked up to encourage production and distribution of cultural works, by granting artists a temporary monopoly that enables them to make some money off their creation. I will pay for content, but if you will not take my money I have zero moral objections to availing myself of your works by other means.

Re:Wow

[trawg]

What about those who pay for Netflix but aren't getting content in a timely manner (most series), see content disappear after a year (there's been a terrible purge here recently), or aren't getting the content at all?

This is why Netflix spend $1b on technology per year and $4b on creating new content. They know if they own the content they can set the worldwide licensing rules. I hope they use this to force the other content owners to make more reasonable licensing decisions but given they seem to have failed to display adaptability for ~20 years I suspect they won't.

And Netflix executives think

[Dunbal]

"Hacker provides much more than $57000 worth of free publicity for our series"

How do you trust Hitler?

[DidgetMaster]

Maybe the companies just decided that the extortionist was probably going to leak the videos anyway. Once the ransom is paid, there is absolutely nothing preventing him from releasing it. It's not like he has any morals whatsoever that might prevent him from double-crossing them. So it's just better to keep the money and not give an incentive for the next pirate hacker to try it too.

Bill Nye Saves The World

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, he also has "Bill Nye Saves The World", worst "science" show in history that calls for segregation. :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx_VoH0C8G4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9x9ZiXSToY

Re:At Least It Was Their Own Content

[mwvdlee]

Or maybe Netflix was like; "The first 10 episodes and not the final 3 episodes of the season? Wow, we couldn't have planned this any better ourselves!".

Contract?

[mwvdlee]

A signed contract with an extortionist... WTF?

I whose mind did the idea to sign a contract in any way make any sense at all?

Either the hacker had to give away his complete identity in a contract that isn't legally binding (because... you know... the extortion part of the contract), or the studio had to sign a contract that is not enforcable by the hacker without giving away his complete identity (and once again, is not legally binding in any way).