Tennessee man charged in scheme to sell blockbuster movies before release
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A Tennessee man who worked at a DVD and Blu-ray company is facing charges for stealing and selling home video releases of films such as "Black Widow" and "Dune" ahead of their public release, prosecutors said.
Steven Hale of Memphis faces charges for copyright infringement and moving stolen goods across state lines, the Justice Department announced Friday. Hale ran the scheme from February 2021 to March 2022, exploiting his workplace to share copies of more than 20 popular movies, according to an indictment the department unsealed Friday.
One movie the Justice Department said Hale pulled, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," was directly ripped from the Blu-ray, copied and shared online a month before the home release.
"Copies of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' were downloaded tens of millions of times, with an estimated loss to the copyright owner of tens of millions of dollars," the department said.
Tennessee man exploited his position for personal gain
Court records didn't indicate what company Hale worked for during the scheme. However, prosecutors said he infringed upon several copyrights for the "purposes of commercial advantage and private financial gain."
Some major picture studios affected by Hale's scheme included Walt Disney Studios, along with Marvel Studios and Pixar; Universal Pictures and its subsidiaries like Illumination; Warner Brothers Pictures and its affiliates New Line Cinema; Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures; and Paramount Pictures.
If convicted of copyright infringement, Hale could face up to five years in prison for each count. For the charge of using the internet to move stolen goods, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Copyright infringements, piracy a problem for the film industry
The Justice Department's charges against Hale underscored the long effort by film associations and organizations to take down stolen copies of their movies and stop them from being distributed without permission, known commonly as piracy.
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment filed copyright infringement lawsuits this year against people it believes are running illegal internet protocol TV services, according to a March 4 news release. Members of the alliance include Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Netflix, Walt Disney Studios and others. The group was created to protect studios' intellectual and creative properties.
Its lawsuits targeted Zachary DeBarr, who it claims operates the Outer Limits IPTV, and Brandon Weibley, who it said operates at least five IPTVs.
"The two unrelated lawsuits allege that DeBarr and Weibley's services facilitate mass copyright infringement by offering unauthorized access to thousands of pirated television channels, movies, and television shows," the group said.
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X @KrystalRNurse, and on BlueSky @krystalrnuse.bsky.social.
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