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FBI investigates 5 Sony Pictures leaks after company-wide hack attack

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

December 1, 2014 | 2 min read

Sony Pictures Entertainment has enlisted the aid of the FBI after five of its upcoming movie releases leaked in an unprecedented attack the scale of which is unmatched in the industry.

Christmas release 'Annie' is among the leaked movies

‘Mr Turner’, ‘Fury’, ‘Annie’, ‘Still Alice’ and ‘To Write Love on Her Arms’ were uploaded to file-sharing sites last week in a move which could fundamentally harm their money-making potential at the box office.

The files emerged at the same time as a hacking collective called ‘Guardians of Peace’ (GoP), which reportedly had control of the company’s servers. Sony has yet to comment on whether the incidents are connected.

GoP previously leaked 11GB of Sony Pictures files including images of Cameron Diaz and Angelina Jolie’s passports in the attack.

On Pirate Bay alone, arguably the busiest file-sharing site worldwide, Annie has been downloaded over a quarter of a million times.

A Sony spokesperson said: “The theft of Sony Pictures Entertainment content is a criminal matter, and we are working closely with law enforcement to address it.”

Earlier this year the Expendables 3 was circulated almost three weeks before its theatrical release. Last week, the individuals behind the leak were arrested in the UK. The movie grossed $10m less than previously projected with Lionsgate Films blaming the pirates.

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