A worker at a major DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing and distribution company has been arrested for allegedly stealing pre-release copies of blockbuster films and selling them online before their official release dates, causing significant financial losses to the copyright holders.
Steven R. Hale, 37, of Memphis, was taken into custody today on charges of criminal copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods. According to court documents, Hale worked for a multinational company that manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays of movies for major studios. From February 2021 to March 2022, Hale allegedly stole multiple pre-release DVDs and Blu-rays, which were not yet available for public purchase.
Among the stolen titles were highly anticipated films such as 'F9: The Fast Saga', 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage', 'Godzilla v. Kong', 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings', 'Dune', and 'Black Widow'. Hale is accused of selling these illicit copies through various e-commerce platforms.
In one notable instance, Hale allegedly stole a pre-release copy of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', bypassed its encryption, and made a digital copy of the Blu-ray. This unauthorized digital version was illegally distributed online, where it was downloaded tens of millions of times before the film’s official release date, leading to an estimated loss of tens of millions of dollars for the copyright owner.
The indictment, unsealed today, charges Hale with two counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. If convicted, Hale faces up to five years in prison for each count of copyright infringement and up to 10 years for transporting stolen goods across state lines.
"Intellectual property theft of this magnitude is a serious crime," said Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for their actions and protect the interests of copyright holders."
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