Under escalating pressure, Sony Pictures is pressing news organisations to stop publishing emails and other internal documents released in a massive cyberattack that have become a source of embarrassment to Hollywood stars and the studio's top executives.
Legal experts said attempts to block publication would probably not find any support in the courts, while crisis management specialists said the initiative may be an attempt to deflect attention from Sony Pictures' own handling of the widening crisis. In letters to media outlets including the on Sunday, attorney David Boies called the data "stolen information".
Writing on behalf of Sony, he called on news organisations to destroy any documents already in their possession. He said the documents are "protected under US and foreign legal doctrines protecting attorney-client privileged communications ... as well as private financial and other confidential information and communications".
Sony "does not consent to your possession, review, copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading, or making any use of the stolen information," wrote Boies.
The letter comes after hackers released a trove of sensitive data, including salaries of top executives and Social Security numbers of thousands of employees.
One series of emails showed studio co-chairwoman Amy Pascal joking with producer Scott Rudin over whether President Barack Obama prefers black-themed films such as . Pascal and Rudin apologised.
