Jackson’s unreleased tracks stolen

Sony Music paid the late singer’s estate over N39, 437, 156, 877 billion ($250 million) for the back catalogue in 2010 and released the first swathe of tracks from it at the end of that year with the posthumous album ‘Michael’. According to Sunday Times, “everything Sony purchased from the Michael Jackson estate was compromised. […]

Sony Music paid the late singer’s estate over N39, 437, 156, 877 billion ($250 million) for the back catalogue in 2010 and released the first swathe of tracks from it at the end of that year with the posthumous album ‘Michael’.

According to Sunday Times, “everything Sony purchased from the Michael Jackson estate was compromised. It caused them to check their systems and they found the breach. There was a degree of sophistication. Sony identified the weakness and plugged the gap.

“The second breach happening so soon after the first would have made investors and artistes think, ‘What other part of Sony isn’t secure?’”

Earlier in the week, the music company admitted that there had been a security breach and that the Michael Jackson material had been stolen but refused to say how much the hackers downloaded.

“Although the Jackson estate had been told about the hack the company did not have to make the knowledge public as there was no customer data involved. Computer experts had traced the hack to the UK by examining a ‘fingerprint’ allegedly left behind.

The Sony Music site also hosts tracks by other artistes including the Foo Fighters, Olly Murs and Avril Lavigne although it is still unclear whether they are affected.