News
According to Reuters, Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp. hired hackers in the late 1990s to crack the security codes for Dish Network's smart cards in order to let Dish subscribers receive free programming.
Dish's lawyers outlined the allegations in a central California court earlier this week. The News Corp.'s NDS Group hired the hackers, according to the Dish lawyer, but attorneys for NDS denied the allegation.
The hackers were known as the "Black Hat Team," according to a Dish lawyer. The five-year-old lawsuit was brought by EchoStar Communications, which split into Dish Network Corp. and EchoStar Corp. earlier this year.
Dish is claiming copyright violation, conspiracy and piracy in the case, which is expected to last for one month.
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