Netflix sued after unencrypted 'Fortitude' copy stolen

Producers Simon Afram and his company filed a $105 million lawsuit against Netflix after an unencrypted hard drive containing the film 'Fortitude' was stolen from Netflix's office at Sunset Bronson Studios.

The unencrypted digital cinema package was hand-delivered by a producer on June 15 and stolen within 10 days; other stolen drives were empty, but 'Fortitude' copy was not recovered.

Netflix's head of film acquisitions Sean Berney acknowledged the theft in a June 25 email, saying security teams had no luck recovering the drives.

Producers argue the theft jeopardizes distribution deals and the film's awards campaign, as prospective distributors must be informed of the stolen unencrypted copy, increasing piracy risk.

Netflix contends the film was delivered without adequate industry protections, spotlighting security flaws in film distribution methods.