Sony Pictures has threatened microblogging website Twitter with legal action if it didn't block out individuals and accounts that have constantly posted content from the leaked emails exposed by hackers.
In a letter addressed to the General Counsel and Secretary of Twitter, Sony's attorney David Boies cautioned that if any "stolen information continues to be disseminated by Twitter in any manner," the studios would hold it accountable.
Sony especially asked Twitter to take down the account of Val Broeksmit, a musician who kept posting screen shots of the leaked emails from the hacks from his Twitter handle @BikiniRobotArmy. Sony asked twitter to remove any material from the leaks on the website and destroy them.
Sony's demands were drafted as follows:
"We ask that you promptly suspend the Account Holder's Twitter account and:
(1) notify us using the contact information provided below;
(2) take all reasonable actions to prevent your company and any of your employees, independent contractors, agents, consultants, account holders, or anyone who may have access to your files from examining, copying, disseminating, distributing, publishing, downloading, uploading, or making any other use of the Stolen Information;
(3) arrange for and supervise the destruction of all copies of the Stolen Information in your possession or under your control, particularly information protected under U.S. and foreign legal doctrines protecting attorney-client privileged communications, attorney work product, and related privileges and protections, as well as private financial and other confidential information and communications of SPE's current and former personnel and others, confidential personnel data, intellectual property, trade secrets and other business secrets and related communications;
(4) confirm that such destruction has been completed; and
(5) comply with all future requests with regard to any other account holder seeking to disseminate the Stolen Information via Twitter."
Twitter hasn't commented on the letter yet.
Meanwhile, Sony Pictures has agreed to release the James Franco- Seth Rogen starring political satire movie "The Interview" in select theatres in the United States. The decision comes days after it pulled the film out after the hacker group threatened to blow up theatres screening the movie.
The hacker group, which calls itself the "Guardians of Peace," breached Sony's cyber security system and exposed confidential data ranging from employee salaries, social security numbers, previously unpublished pilot scripts and private e-mails as well.
Experts say the hacks could cost Sony Pictures over $200 million.
