A Memphis-based employee of a multinational DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing company was arrested on charges related to the theft and sale of pre-release commercial DVDs. The worker, identified as Steven R. Hale, 37, is accused of stealing DVDs and Blu-rays from his employer between February 2021 and March 2022. These discs were not yet available for public sale.
According to court documents, Hale allegedly sold the stolen items through e-commerce platforms. Among the films involved were "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." A digital copy of at least one stolen Blu-ray, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” was distributed online illegally prior to its official release date, leading to significant financial losses for the copyright owner.
The indictment against Hale includes two counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison per copyright infringement charge and up to ten years for transporting stolen goods across state lines.
Antoinette T. Bacon from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced the charges alongside Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee and FBI Special Agent Joseph E. Carrico from Nashville's Field Office.
The FBI is handling the investigation while Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti, Trial Attorney Debra Ireland from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin are prosecuting.
The indictment serves as an allegation only; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.