User blog:Callofduty4/Activision's "Project Icebreaker"

"Project Icebreaker" was, based on a recent filing from the upcoming trial, an ongoing Activision initiative to uncover information regarding West and Zampella by accessing their work email, computer, and phones. It was rolled out just months before the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

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The details that follow were pulled from a filing made by counsel for West and Zampella on April 23. The filing focuses on Activision director of IT Thomas Fenady’s deposition, and was filed in response to an Activision motion to dismiss parts of his testimony. Activision motion hopes to dismiss Fenady’s testimony under attorney-client privilege. West and Zampella’s lawyers argue Fenady’s testimony outlines Activision’s attempts to remove West and Zampella from the company prior to the 2010 incident.

Thomas Fenady was director of IT at Activision. He left in December 2009, and now works at Warner Bros. Fenady testified that in the summer of 2009, then Activision chief legal officer (now chief public policy officer) George Rose instructed him to “dig up dirt on Jason and Vince” because “we just want to get rid of them.” Rose said the decision came from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.

In Fenady’s deposition, Activision counsel asked the following:

Activision: So as I understand it, the investigation in your mind included seeing whether you could get access to Mr. Jason and Mr. Vince's work computers; correct? Fenady: Yes.

Activision: It included determining whether you could get access to their work email; correct? Fenady: Correct.

Activision: It included determining whether you could get access to their work voicemail? Fenady: Correct.

Activision: It did not include getting access to any personal computer or personal telephone; correct? Fenady: Correct.

Activision: What I wanted to know is, did I get it all? Fenady: The only thing I would include is, it involved engaging third parties in order to do to. That was all part of -- the objective was the same.

Activision: Which was to gain access -- Fenady: To their work systems, yes.

The article goes more into detail about Activision's plans, including apparently the possibility of staging a fake fumigation or fire drill in order to get access to the emails/computers.

Source and full article: http://www.giantbomb.com/news/activision-infinity-ward-and-project-icebreaker/4152/