Netflix Faces $112.5 Million Suit Over Stolen Unencrypted Nicolas Cage Film Drive
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Jul 31
Netflix Faces $112.5 Million Suit Over Stolen Unencrypted Nicolas Cage Film Drive
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Jul 31
Summary
$112.5 million is now at stake in a lawsuit accusing Netflix of mishandling a stolen drive containing the unreleased Nicolas Cage film “Fortitude” and waiting a week to alert producer Op-Fortitude.
Court filings say the drive was taken from a Netflix office desk with other drives, and that Netflix had asked for the screener to be unlocked before delivery, undermining an executive’s claim that thieves would need a key.
Op-Fortitude and financier-director Simon Afram, who says he spent $45 million making the film, argue Netflix breached an agreement to delete the screener and promptly return the drive after viewing, wrecking the movie’s marketing strategy and raising piracy risk.
Netflix denies liability, says plaintiffs are trying to extort money after demanding $165 million, and contends only “Fortitude” was accessible because the production company failed to encrypt the drive.
No leak has been detected so far, Netflix said, and the company maintains the stolen file was not the movie’s only copy as the dispute heads to court.