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« on: December 18, 2014, 10:41:59 PM »
This post may unnerve some people but it goes to the heart of what I've been saying since the early days of ELI. It has been interesting watching the Sony Entertainment Pictures hacker crisis: a powerful, major media corporation being felled by hackers who released a bunch of inside information. I won't detail the huge financial, cultural, media, and overall influential power of Sony Entertainment Pictures. Anyone can do an online search themselves to get such information but suffice it to say that Sony Pictures, as a media company, is considered an elephant and a big deal in the world of media. Getty Images, Masterfile, and all these other companies don't hold a candle to how large, powerful, and influential Sony really is.
But I want all extortion letter victims to pay attention and learn the lesson that I have been preaching. When you fight back or make a stand against an organization much larger and powerful than yourself, always remember they are made of individuals like you and me. They cloak and hide themselves behind a corporate and organizational veil and attempt to show how big and powerful they are. This only works if YOU fight back on THEIR terms.
In less than a month, Sony Pictures has literally been brought to their knees by a few hackers. All the hackers did was release and disseminate private and personal information on the INDIVIDUALS and how they act and behaved BEHIND the corporate veil. Let me be clear, I believe what the hackers of Sony did was illegal and I would never condone that. However, I am absolutely certain there are many people who are quite gleeful of what happened to Sony and that many within Sony was brought down from their pedestal.
As a First Amendment advocate, I believe Sony and the movie producers had every right to produce and market the movie "The Interview". But despite all their financial backing and power, Sony was essentially defeated and scared into submission because of the onslaught and damages wrought on the INDIVIDUALs of Sony. The mighty and powerful Sony Pictures Chairman Amy Pascal and her executives have been attacked in a way never seen before in history.
Despite the fact there has been no outrage or demand by U.S. Citizens to pull "The Interview", Sony Pictures and the movie cinema industry have decided to withdraw "The Interview" despite the fact that this "small" movie starring two comedian actors has gotten worldwide attention in a way never seen before in history. From a marketing point of view, it is a movie that DEMANDS to be watched, if for no other reason to spite the North Koreans.
The people within Sony Pictures have been brought down by the onslaught of PERSONAL INFORMATION released into the public. Not just the Social Security numbers, email addresses, passwords, and salaries. But the emails of what they said and how they behaved behind closed doors. Rumors have it that many stars are living in fear now because much of their personal information was discussed within Sony. Many of these allegedly powerful stars that so many people revere to unhealthy levels might be shown to be NORMAL human beings with NORMAL human failings.
There is no question that Sony Pictures employees now live in fear. Many likely took great pride that they made good money and they were employed by this prestigious, powerful, famous, influential company as Sony Pictures. However, the decisions and responses being made by Sony indicate they are paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. Not because of any CREDIBLE threats against them on a personal level. But because the hackers took that information and smartly pointed and informed news organizations of the hacked information.
There is no question what the hackers did is clearly illegal. But notice how many respectable and credible news organizations are gleefully and enthusiastically going through this private information KNOWING that it was the result of hacked (illegally obtained information) and riding this for all its worth. And, of course, readers like me who are interested in media, movies, business, etc. are DEVOURING the information as quickly as they are released. All the while Sony Pictures employees are reeling from all of this.
Of course, Sony Pictures in their desperation has hired the legally famous lawyer, David Boies, to send a veiled threat to all the news media and tech bloggers to stop reading and reporting on this hacked and illegally obtained information. To the best of my knowledge, not one of them have stopped reporting even after receiving the threat letter. They cite First Amendment rights to report on the information and that it is newsworthy.
Of course, anyone who understands the Streisand Effect knows that Sony only made it worse by bringing in David Boies to issue a veiled threat to the news organizations and the tech blogger community. Nearly all of them went public with their respective letters and the reporting of Sony's private information continues on.
Now, it sounds like I am happy about what happened to Sony Pictures as if I had an axe to grind with them. I don't. I am entirely neutral about it and I have no connection to Sony Pictures whatsoever beyond being a movie and video-viewing consumer. That is it. Nothing personal for me regarding Sony Pictures. But the news, information, and lessons being learned are HUGE to anyone paying attention.
Watch how fearful the employees of this supposedly powerful company behaves. Watch how quickly the entire movie industry caved in to NOT showing "The Interview" move once hacker attacks were directed to the INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES and not the company themselves. Watch how so many powerful other movie companies that SHOULD BE Sony allies are deathly silent. Watch how the First Amendment works and who makes it work for them. Watch how the Streisand Effect works even with the biggest, powerful companies. Watch how news gets disseminated and embedded into search engines. Watch how NOT being authentic and real comes back to bite people. There is so much to watch and learn from the Sony Pictures ordeal but you have to open your mind to it.
The lessons I have been taking from the Sony Picture crisis is priceless. And at risk of being boisterous and self-congratulatory, many controversial ideas I have shared on ELI have proven to be true and correct. AS it relates to ELI, always remember the parties (employees and lawyers) who threaten you are often weak and fearful INDIVIDUALS when called into the light. While I do not condone or endorse hacking because it is illegal, the power of the right information being released and shared can be more powerful than having an army of lawyers on your side.
ELI exists to OPENLY SHARE and REPORT INFORMATION. Anonymous sharing is allowed. The First Amendment is fully in effect as well as Section 230 of the CDA.
My current appeal of Chan v. Ellis now in the GA Supreme Court is about the right to openly share and publicize legally-obtained controversial information. The lawyers of a poet-author from Marietta, GA and one judge in Muscogee County, GA have tried to shut me and ELI down from talking, sharing unpleasant information, and my using abrasive, harsh language. However, many supporters of ELI including Attorney Oscar Michelen, First Amendment legal scholars Eugene Volokh, Aaron H. Kaplan, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are fighting for your and ELI's right to continue to make sure the First Amendment and Section 230 of the CDA is alive and well.
ELI is not "just another website". ELI Community and its members have grown more powerful and have fought the good fight so that YOU the reader and victim have the right to speak out and fight back against those that would attempt to extort money out of you because of minor, de-minimis infringements. ELI is well entrenched in the search engines which means your voice carries very far. Any helpful comments, insights, comments you post contributes to fighting against copyright extortionists.
I encourage people to name names and openly share your story of those that would unreasonably threaten you over a minor matter. Show them that you are not going to threaten and take money from you without a consequence. Get educated, get empowered, and get even for receiving a bullshit extortion letter.
Remember Sony Pictures. They became cowards very quickly. They are afraid to release an entertaining movie that hurts no one. They are so cowardly, they have chosen to give up their own First Amendment rights to release the movie. They were brought down by disseminated information and the First Amendment. You, with ELI's help, can tap into those lessons and use a bit of that power for yourself to fight back copyright extortionists.
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