Hackers infiltrated Sony's computer system and illegally downloaded Michael Jackson's entire back catalog
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Somewhere in the world -- and Sony Music would love to know where -- someone is sitting on unreleased recordings of Michael Jackson singing with will.i.am and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
That's the word from Britain's Sunday Times, which reports that in April 2011, hackers infiltrated Sony's computer system and illegally downloaded the King of Pop's entire back catalog -- a collection of 50,000 digital files that includes a number of unreleased tracks.
"It caused them to check their systems and they found the breach," a source told the newspaper. "There was a degree of sophistication. Sony identified the weakness and plugged the gap."
Sony paid Jackson's estate $250 million for the recordings back in 2010, and according to the source, everything the label acquired was compromised in the cyber attack. That means the digital crooks have their hands on a treasure trove of unheard material dating back to 'Off the Wall' and 'Thriller.'
At this time, it's unclear what the hackers will do with the music, but if they're smart, they'll slowly roll the songs out over a period of years, making obsessive fans shell out big bucks for each new CD.
If only there were some place they could look for a business model.
Edited By GABRIELLA OSAMOR link
"At this time, it's unclear what the hackers will do with the music, but if they're smart, they'll slowly roll the songs out over a period of years, making obsessive fans shell out big bucks for each new CD. If only there were some place they could look for a business model."
Nicely done :)
Sounds like a load of kack, the recordings would have been released on the net long ago if they were stolen.
Anyone trying to make money off it would be a fool.
how ironic same crap as when made in heaven album was getting made brian may came out and said that his computer was stolen with all the songs that freddie had done etc, but magically they appeared just in time to finish an album? suss or what and also if it did get stolen then surely there must have been alot of songs that we havent heard yet???. anyway who wants to listen to a pervert like jackson anyway?
scollins wrote:
how ironic same crap as when made in heaven album was getting made brian may came out and said that his computer was stolen with all the songs that freddie had done etc, but magically they appeared just in time to finish an album? suss or what and also if it did get stolen then surely there must have been alot of songs that we havent heard yet???. anyway who wants to listen to a pervert like jackson anyway?
I DO.
and that's not a misnomer... he was a pervert, in the very legal sense of the word. He had a COMPLETELY unusual life.
However, he was not a sexual pervert... which means he was an artist.
I happen to love most of the dudes stuff even after DANGEROUS.
its a shame i never bought HISTORY for the fact that it was packaged expensively with a GREATEST HITS collection (all of which i had) and NEVER as a solo disc.
It has some of his best work. Stranger In Moscow is underrated.