Hackers steal Michael Jackson's catalogue

BANGALORE, INDIA: Michael Jackson's back catalogue, containing more than 50,000 files, has been reportedly stolen by hackers, The Gurdian reported on Monday.

According to the report, the files were hacked from Sony Music and downloaded.

In 2010, the Jackson's estate had signed a deal with Sony Music which gave the company rights to sell his whole back catalogue as well as previously unreleased tracks. The deal which was worth $250m (£164m) is said to be the biggest ever of its kind in the music industry.

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According to the report, on Friday, two men who were arrested last May appeared in court in the UK accused of offences in connection with the alleged security breach.

James Marks, 26, from Daventry in Northamptonshire, and James McCormick, 25, from Blackpool, denied charges under the Computer Misuse Act and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act at Leicester crown court. They were released on bail, The Guardian reported quoted sources in the Serious Organised Crime Agency. They are due to stand trial next January.

The incident comes less than a year after the names, addresses and other personal data of about 77 million people with accounts on Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) were stolen.

The company warned it had been hacked last April when an "illegal and unauthorised person" got access to the information, forcing Sony to temporarily shut down the PSN, which allows owners of the consoles to play online games and rent films.