Hacker holds Netflix to ransom after stealing new Orange is the New Black series

A computer hacker is claiming to have stolen the upcoming season of Netflix popular series Orange Is The New Black and is threatening to release all the new episodes online unless a ransom is paid.

Unconfirmed reports say the hacker, operating under the name The Dark Overlord, has already purportedly uploaded the first episode of the new series, which is supposed to be released in June, to an illegal file-sharing service.

Netflix said that the files had been stolen from a computer system belonging to the Los Gatos Company, a small production vendor that works with several major TV studios. The company said the breach was being investigated by the FBI and other authorities.

The Dark Overlord claimed to have also obtained illicit copies of various other series from other studios, by breaking into a single company. The hacker promised to release those titles too unless “modest” ransoms are paid.

In February, the hacker had told reporters that he would not be making the stolen video publicly available after all, saying “no one really (cares) about unreleased movies and TV show episodes.” It is not clear what caused The Dark Overlord’s change of heart.