Updated
Updated · MyNewsLA.com · Aug 19
Judge Lets Ariana Grande Issue Subpoenas to Unmask Hackers in 16 Days
Updated
Updated · MyNewsLA.com · Aug 19

Judge Lets Ariana Grande Issue Subpoenas to Unmask Hackers in 16 Days

3 articles · Updated · MyNewsLA.com · Aug 19

Summary

  • Judge Mark H. Epstein granted Ariana Grande an expedited order to serve third-party deposition subpoenas, letting her lawyers immediately seek records to identify unknown hackers.
  • The subpoenas target internet platforms and other entities allegedly used to sell stolen songs, videos and photos on the dark web, after Grande said informal efforts to trace the culprits had been fruitless.
  • Grande’s July 27 lawsuit says the hackers have targeted photographers’ and producers’ accounts since 2019, using phishing and stolen login credentials to take unreleased masters, demos, session footage and photographs.
  • Because no defendants have been identified, Epstein said there was no point waiting the usual 16 court days for a noticed motion, clearing a faster path for Grande to try to hold the sellers accountable.

Insights

How did elite music producers fall for basic phishing scams that exposed Ariana Grande's unreleased hits to the dark web?
Will subpoenas force giants like PayPal to expose the anonymous hackers profiting from stolen celebrity music?
If 45 songs were stolen in a single year, is the music industry's digital supply chain fundamentally broken?