How do leaks, especially huge leaks happen?

[Azureth 687]

NOTE: This isn't about S8 specifically, I know there have been many topics about it. What I am curious though is how do leaks, especially real big leaks happen? Not just info but footage. For example, I remember the day the MLP movie came out there was already an HD non-cam video of the full movie out on a video site. How do these people manage to get their hands on such big stuff in the first place?

[Randimaxis 8,664]

Well, you see... when iron pipes and rust love each other very, very much...

From what I've gathered over the years, there can be a number of reasons - the screener copy got out, someone took a camera to a test-audience preview, unscrupulous types who work at the theatre and 'preview' the reel to 'make sure it's okay'... it's surprisingly commonplace for things to be out on the internet somewhere before their release.

Officially drugs bootlegs are bad, mmmkay?

But many enterprising people will find the utmost damndest ways to get their mitts on stuff - especially movie stuff - if it means they can make a profit.

[Techno Universal 2,575]

Yeah plus often people (mainly animators) who work on the show attempt to anonymously leak content from the show online. So apparently there is a couple of people on Daily Motion that are known for uploading leaked MLP episodes and apparently one or more of the animators in the show are sneaking copies of the original animation files out of the studio and then they anonymously send the files to thease leak posters on Daily Motion or on other platforms. Really Daily motion is the only place where things can be leaked as the website doesn't have a strict copyright policy like YouTube so once the episodes are leaked on there Hasbro can't do anything to remove them while on YouTube they can easily remove leaked episodes.

[Jeric 46,884]

1. Leaked internally by staff involved in the project

2. Acquired through external means such as gaining elicit access to digitally stored files (hacking)

 

Leaks are different than content sharing/piracy as it usually occurs prior to the official release of the project.