Recent Piracy Threat to HBO'S GoT Reaffirms Demand for Rightscorp's Data Protection

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cecil Bond Kyte, CEO of Rightscorp (OTCQB: RIHT), a leading provider of data analytics and litigation services, as well as copyright infringement protection services to support artists and owners of copyrighted property, provided a response to the latest piracy shakedown in Hollywood entertainment, in which hackers have threatened to distribute unreleased episodes of Season 7 of HBO's Game of Thrones.

According to Entertainment Weekly, hackers claimed to have obtained 1.5 terabytes of data from the company. HBO is currently investigating the incident and working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms and, in a confirmed statement by the network, stated, "Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold."

Rightscorp CEO Cecil Bond Kyte commented, "This is merely the latest example of how rampant piracy affects the media industry and threatens its future. Rightscorp has been on the forefront of assisting copyright creators and owners to protect their proprietary content. More importantly, a key to safeguarding digital assets is to hold ISPs accountable to enforce policies to terminate the accounts of subscribers who repeatedly infringe copyrights."

In February 2017, BMG Rights Management was awarded a total of $33.5 million in copyright damages and legal fees in a lawsuit over music downloading. Although Rightscorp was not a party in the case, the Company was instrumental in issuing massive DMCA takedown notices to Cox Communications, which were ignored.

Game of Thrones is the most-watched series in HBO history, with its latest, season 7, bringing in a record 16.1 million viewers, according to CNN. TorrentFreak has also reported that the show has taken the crown for the fifth year as being the most pirated TV show of 2016.

Other recent events include the release of unreleased episodes from season 5 of Orange Is the New Black ahead of its summer return in April 2017 and Sony in 2014, when approximately 100 terabytes of data was uploaded online, making it the biggest Hollywood hack in history.

About Rightscorp, Inc.

Rightscorp (RIHT) is a leading provider of data and analytic services to support artists and owners of copyrighted Intellectual Property (IP). The Company's patent pending digital loss prevention technology focuses on the infringement of rights to digital content such as music, movies, software, books and games and ensures that the rights of owners and creators are protected. Rightscorp works closely with its clients to develop programs of education and notice, and as necessary to pursue copyright infringers for their illegal file sharing activities via notifications sent through Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The Company's technology identifies copyright infringers, who are provided information about copyrights and the importance of Intellectual Property and offered a reasonable opportunity to terminate their activities and pay a nominal settlement option that is generally a fraction of the statutory minimum in an effort to avoid the need for expensive litigation. With minimum statutory penalties of $750 and up to $150,000 per infringement, Rightscorp's technology and process of notice allows all parties to efficiently and economically address copyright infringement without the costs and burdens of litigation. Based on the fact that 22% of all Internet traffic is used to distribute copyrighted content without permission or compensation to the creators, Rightscorp's technology and process provides one of the best and most cost efficient means of addressing this issue for both the artists and those who have infringed their works.

http://www.rightscorp.com/

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