£160million worth of Michael Jackson's back catalogue has been stolen
Michael
Jackson's entire back catalogue has been stolen by internet hackers.
Sony music
suffered its second major security breach in a year, with thieves targeting
songs and unreleased material by the superstar singer.
It's alleged
they downloaded more than 50,000 music files, worth £160million, in the biggest
ever cyber attack on a music company.
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| Logo of Sony Music |
The news
comes just a year after Sony paid £250million for the seven-year rights to the
songs following Jacko's death.
The contract
with Jackson's estate also allowed them to release 10 new albums, including
material from studio sessions produced during the making of some of the star's
biggest albums.
The singer,
who died in June 2009 at the age of 50, had recorded unreleased duets with
artists ranging from the late Freddie Mercury and Black Eyed Peas singer
Will.i.am.
In April the
details of 77million gamers were stolen after Sony's Playstation Network was
hacked. The breach cost Sony £106million and hugely damaged their
reputation.
The attack
on the Jackson files occurred shortly afterwards but has not been revealed
until now.
The hack was
discovered during routine monitoring of social networking sites, Jackson fan
sites and hacking forums.
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| Michael Jackson |
A source close to the company said: 'Everything Sony purchased from the Michael Jackson estate was compromised.
'It caused
them to check their systems and they found the breach. There was a degree of
sophistication.
'Sony
identified the weakness and plugged the gap.'
The hack has
compromised the work of other artists managed by the firm, including songs by
Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon, Olly Murs, the Foo Fighters and Avril Lavigne.
The source
added that the second breach happening so soon after the first 'would have made
investors and artists think, 'What other part of Sony isn't secure?''
Last night
Sony admitted there had been a security breach and that the Michael Jackson material
had been stolen but refused to say how much the hackers downloaded.
A source
within the company said that although the Jackson estate had been told about
the hack the company did not have to make the knowledge public as there was no
customer data involved.
They added
that computer experts had traced the hack to the UK by examining a
'fingerprint' allegedly left behind.
The Serious
Organised Crime division took up the case and two men appeared in court last
week charged with offences under the computer Misuse Act.
They denied
all charges and were remanded on bail.
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