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ANN CEO Speaks on Oreimo Episode Leak

Anime News Network (ANN) CEO Chris Macdonald issued an apology today in response to the recent leak of the second episode of the television anime Oreimo, ANN's first simulcast. Macdonald explained in the apology that the video was downloaded from a server contracted by ANN through an exploit that took advantage of failures in the security systems.

Macdonald also announced that ANN will provide a full refund to everyone who purchased a premium streaming account, and expects that to be completed "within a few days."

Responding to follow-up questions from ANN, Macdonald specified that "this was not, as many claim, a simple case of pointing a web browser to a URL," but rather an exploitation requiring "a fairly advanced knowledge and software tools, and spoofing a security protocol." A secondary security feature was supposed to have been in place to prevent such an occurrence, but Macdonald confirmed that it "was not functioning" as it should have been, and that the error has been fixed.

Meanwhile, both of ANN's simulcasts — Oreimo and togainu no chi - Bloody Curs- — have been suspended indefinitely. Macdonald would not comment further on the possibility of their restoration. When asked whether ANN will have other simulcasts in the future, he confirmed that he expects to have simulcasts "in January, if not sooner."

Macdonald also acknowledged that episode leaks may cause Japanese companies to become "less inclined to support simulcasts" and apologized for contributing to that. He also thanked the site's Japanese partners for their support.

Asked whether the user or users who pirated the video were being pursued, Macdonald declined to comment.