14 DAY TRIAL // Everyone was hyped when the “Avengers: Age of Ultron” first trailer was leaked a few days early and we got our first look at what is shaping up to be the most epic superhero movie to date. Even Marvel seemed to be OK with it, and some of us thought that it was just one of those “leaks” made on purpose, for marketing.
It turns out that Marvel was not behind the leak, and what's more, they are now targeting the person who did leak the video. After the original leak, Marvel played it cool, sending takedown notices, then releasing the real trailer in HD version and making fun of the leak on social media, blaming Hydra.
Marvel acted cool about the leak, but in reality, it's out for blood, is looking for the source of the leak
However, behind the scenes, the atmosphere was much more tense. Because this is Marvel's biggest project to date, the sums of money involved are around the hundreds of millions of dollars mark, so now the company is looking for the source of the leak and try to get at least some of its prejudice back.
The Verge reports that Marvel has already contacted a judge and asked for a subpoena against Google, by which they would force the company to release information about the source of the leak that could lead to the discovery of the person who perpetrated it.
They want to get information on the person behind-the-screen name “John Gazelle” who uploaded the trailer to Google Drive. A judge has asked Google to give Marvel the IP address of the user in question and also the IP addresses of the person's Google Plus and YouTube accounts.
This could be a new legal battle between Marvel and Google if the latter refuses to give out that information
That means that Google has until November 18 to appear in a court room with the required information. However, this could very well escalate into a legal conflict between the two giants, Marvel and Google, since the latter is known as a fierce protector of its users' privacy.
The reason Marvel is pushing for this investigation is clear: the company is keen to seek out and punish the person behind the leak, not so much for the money but as to make an example out of him or her, in order to make others think twice before leaking Marvel material.
If you'll remember, earlier this year, a full version of the “Expendables 3” movie was leaked online shortly before the movie premiered in cinemas, and when the movie was finally released, it turned out to be a flop. Many considered that the leak was to blame for that, so Marvel has every reason to fear further leaks and to take aggressive measures against those who are involved in such activities.
