The Sony hacking scandal and ramifications are going nowhere in a hurry. In fact, it’s opening cans of worms and re-starting rivalries everywhere. One of those rivalries is Google vs MPAA.
For years, Google and the Motion Picture Association of America have been at each other throats, especially over piracy issues. They’ve even fought each other in public. Earlier this month, a report revealed the MPAA bringing website blocking to the US. Website blocking is unpopular with Google, and most other people, for that matter. They even called on Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood (whose a staunch supporter of SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act) to attack Google. This attacking letter painted Google as some kind of big bad ‘Goliath’. After a week of silence, Google executives struck back, reminding MPAA and the world that millions of Americans signed petitions and took to the streets to protest the SOPA act, in fears that it would lead to censorship. They also criticized MPAA of basically using a state politician to do their work. The MPAA didn’t go out quietly. They called Google portraying themselves as free speech defenders ‘shameful’.
Why do I bring this up? Because I think of where the MPAA and SOPA supporters stood this week. I don’t remember one MPAA executive or representative even try to talk Sony or the major theater franchises out of cancelling The Interview. I don’t remember Attorney General Hood or any other SOPA supporters remind Sony how they were giving in to terrorist hackers. I don’t know how far or long this war of words between Google and MPAA is going to go, but something tells me it’s not going to end quickly or very peacefully. But you would think MPAA would get it after millions of people showed them how unpopular this legislation is. What other old wounds and rivalries will the Sony hacking scandal open up?