Steven R. Hale, 37, of Memphis, appeared before United States District Court Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman on May 27, 2025 and entered a guilty plea to criminal copyright infringement in one case and to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in another case.
According to information presented in court, from approximately May 2019 to March 2022, Hale worked for a multinational company in Memphis that, among other things, manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays of movies. From approximately February 2021 to March 2022, Hale stole hundreds of “pre-release” DVDs and Blu-rays, that is, discs being prepared for commercial distribution in the United States and not available for sale to the public. Hale’s theft included DVDs and Blu-rays for such popular films 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 then sold the discs through e-commerce sites.
As a result of Hale’s illegal activities, at least one pre-release Blu-ray, “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, was “ripped” — that is, extracted from the Blu-ray by bypassing the encryption that prevents unauthorized copying — and copied. That digital copy was then illegally made available over the internet more than a month before the Blu-ray’s official scheduled release date. 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. In his plea agreement, Hale agreed to make full restitution to his victims and return approximately 1,160 stolen DVDs and Blu-rays he unlawfully possessed.
The guilty plea came three months after the defendant was indicted in February by a federal grand jury. The government’s criminal investigation was initiated after a referral by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE).
In addition, Hale also unlawfully possessed a loaded firearm with a live round in the chamber. He has a prior felony conviction for armed robbery in 2008 for which he served seven years’ imprisonment.
Hale is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman on August 29, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
Further reading
Employee at multinational DVD company pleads guilty to stealing, selling pre-release commercial DVDs for blockbuster films. Press release. June 12, 2025. US Attorney’s Office, Western District of Tennesses.
Tennesses man pleads guilty to federal felony for stealing and selling pre-release DVDs. Press release. June 16 2023. Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)
Why it matters
“The defendant’s guilty plea is a clear admission of criminal wrongdoing and a powerful reminder that piracy is theft, plain and simple. It harms creators, workers and the entire creative industry,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
“ACE will continue to pursue those who undermine the creative economy and will work relentlessly with global law enforcement to bring them to justice,” she said.
In a prepared statement, ACE said that the case highlights the importance of industry and government collaboration in protecting copyrighted content and ensuring those who profit from piracy are brought to justice.
