TickBox sent packing as film studios and Netflix win $25 million lawsuit
This story was first published for the 1709 Blog, where I regularly write about copyright law in entertainment, technology and media. The Alliance for Creativity in Entertainment (ACE), an industry coalition of global entertainment companies and film studios, together with Netflix and Amazon, has secured a major legal victory
Cyber security gets Hollywood makeover
Hacking is a major issue for many industries - but Hollywood is an especially tempting target. The new Entertainment Security Operations Center in Los Angeles hopes to provide a secure system for studios to control their valuable creative content.HBO, Sony Pictures, and Netflix have all been hacked in major security breaches. In addition to embarrassing information being made public and loss of consumer confidence, infiltration can cost a film or television company big bucks. According to a Carnegie Mellon University study, films leaked online before official release can lose nearly 20% of their box office revenue. Furthermore, paid subscriptions for Netflix or HBO become less appealing to viewers if they can simply watch their favourite shows elsewhere for free. Why is Hollywood so poorly equipped to safeguard itself from data breaches? Outsourcing may be partially to blame. Special effects, musical scores, set engineering, and technicians are often provided by independent contractors and freelancers. While workers could be brought in-house, doing so would be expensive and limit flexibility when sourcing the best talent. Unfortunately, many of these small firms and individuals simply lack the resources to defend against sophisticated attacks. As a result, the hundreds or even thousands of people working on a project’s creation and distribution become security risks.
Lawyers with a sense of humour: Strange?
I don't usually come across phrases such as "total wastoid" and "please don't make us call your mom" in letters written by lawyers...Earlier this summer, Chicago-based Danny and Doug Marks of the Emporium Arcade Bar organised a popup bar inspired by Netflix's original series, Stranger Things. Named after the show's spooky alternate reality, the "Upside Down" became extremely popular, as people would regularly queue out the door to sip themed cocktails while surrounded by TV-studio quality props. Although the popup was initially planned to stay open for only six weeks, the success of the venture led its organisers to consider extending its run.