Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai has spoken out publicly
for the first time since hackers gained access to computer systems at the
company's movie division and nearly prevented the release of "The
Interview."
Hirai addressed the controversy at the annual Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in LasVegas, thanking employees and partners for their
work during the crisis.
Hirai said that current and former Sony workers were
victims of "one of the most vicious and malicious" cyberattacks
"in recent history." Continue..
"But I have to say that I am very proud of all the
employees, and certainly the partners that we work with as well, who stood up
against some of the extortionist efforts of the criminals," he added.
Sony Pictures has been devastated by the cyberattack, which
appears to be connected to the release of "The Interview," a Seth
Rogen comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Sony initially canceled the film's release after major movie
chains pulled out and the hackers threatened violence. The hackers then sent a
message to Sony executives saying they had made a "very wise"
decision not to show the movie.
President Obama called that decision a mistake, and Sony soon
reversed course, releasing the move online, in hundreds of theaters and via
video-on-demand and pay TV services. The movie made its debut on Christmas
Eve, and was rented or purchased onlinemore than 2 million times in the
first four days, earning $15 million in that time period.
"I have to say, freedom of speech, freedom of expression,
freedom of association: those are very important lifelines for Sony,"
Hirai said Monday.
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