Leaked Email Reveals Secret Anti-Piracy Meeting Between Companies And Google
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Irony at its finest, a new leak suggests that Hollywood studios may be patching differences with help from Homeland Security. On March 19, 2012, a leaked email sent to Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton, provides a new look at how Google fits into anti-piracy efforts, according to The Verge. In the email it describes a small secret group assembled by John Morton from Homeland Security, to address piracy and other crimes on the web. It was sent by Sony’s legal affairs team, the email suggests the meeting place. The email says “Google is apparently willing to do more than its public (and not so public) positions.”
The group includes a senior ICANN member and Vint Cerf, Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist as well as a pivotal figure in the creation of the internet on the web side. The corporate side includes The President and CEO of Eli Lilly, Rosetta Stone, representatives from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and array of companies that have faced and fought back various piracy and copyright issues. There is no indication of the meeting’s subject matter, however given relationship between Google and the content industry, it seems likely that piracy issues would quickly find their way to the top of the agenda.
Here is the full email:
Subject line: Today’s call with John Morton, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security
John is calling you today to invite you to join a small group being formed to meet with him and Google ( and a few others) to explore working together to find a “compromise ” to the Google issues; his theory is that a small group will be more constructive and productive.
Google apparently is willing to do more than its public (and not so public) positions; Google suggested you as the most balanced and reasonable person on the studio side and specifically requested your participation. No other studio would be involved.
You are his first phone call invitation to this small group. He plans on also inviting the Chairman , President and CEO of Eli Lilly , John C. Lechleiter, who is very involved in fighting counterfeit pharmaceuticals; additionally , he wants to invite Ernie Allen who is the President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. I have attached the resumes of each of these 2 gentlemen. Lastly, he is thinking of including someone from Rosetta Stone; I still have not confirmed who that would be. From what I understand, John does not want the group any larger.
On the Google side, I have been told that Vinton C. Cerf , Vice President and “Chief Internet Evangelist”, as well as Dr. Stephen C. Crocker, Board Chair of ICANN, would attend. They are childhood friends and together have been responsible for laying the Internet’s foundation. I have also attached their resumes.
The meetings would be in Washington most likely since the others are in Indianapolis , Washington and Virginia respectively. Lastly, he has asked that we keep this very confidential.
