shouting loudly

Did the MPAA hire a hacker?

That’s what Torrentspy.com’s parent company, Valence Media, is alleging. Valence claims that the hacker is now cooperating with their investigation into what it calls “a Hollywood drama” of subterfuge and espionage. Here’s a quote from the CNet story:

Some of the information that the man allegedly pilfered included a spreadsheet containing Torrentspy income and expenses from January to June 2005, copies of private e-mails between Torrentspy employees, detailed information on the company’s servers, and billing information, according to the lawsuit.

Torrentspy alleges in the suit that the man, whom the company refers to as the “informant,” has provided documents that prove the nature of his relationship with the MPAA, including a written agreement signed by the hacker and an MPAA executive, [Torrentspy attorney Ira] Rothken said.

“We have very significant proof of wrongdoing and the MPAA’s involvement,” Rothken said. “We think it’s ironic for the MPAA to claim that they are protecting the rights of the movie studios and then go out and pirate other people’s property.”

The full lawsuit filing is available here.