A few years ago, unauthorized Blu-ray editions of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ surfaced on illicit platforms ahead of the movie’s official debut. Incidentally, pre-launch discs popped up on an eBay sale, making it clear that someone had acquired multiple pre-launch variants of the film. The specific origin and circumstances remained an enigma at that time.
The puzzle saw some clarity earlier this year when the U.S. Department of Justice identified the alleged perpetrator. Post an exhaustive inquiry led by the FBI, the legal authorities initiated a case against 37-year-old Steven Hale. He was accused of purloining a range of Blu-rays and DVDs from his erstwhile employer, a Memphis-based company specializing in disc production and delivery.
In May, Hale admitted guilt for the crime of swiping and disseminating several DVD and Blu-ray discs for commercial profit and personal financial leverage. Among his loot were yet-to-be-released movies including ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’, ‘Encanto’, and ‘The Matrix Resurrections’.
Beyond the accusation of copyright violation, Hale was indicted for a firearms violation as well. Upon searching his premises, officials discovered a loaded gun in a car registered in Hale’s name, a standalone crime for a person with criminal antecedents. However, the defense contended that the firearm belonged to Hale’s father, not Hale himself.
Hale’s counsel emphasized that the gun’s presence was purely coincidental and did not serve to facilitate the copyright violation. The authorities concurred that there appeared to be no direct link between the firearms discovery and the theft of the DVDs and Blu-rays. Yet, this ‘accidental’ find doesn’t assure a more lenient penal sentencing.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) presented its viewpoint on the impending sentence to the court. Their documents revealed this was not Hale’s inaugural brush with the law. The DoJ highlighted, “The accused has a significant criminal history involving armed burglary, attempted larceny, theft of property, and driving with a suspended license, along with impending firearms and drug offenses.”
The DoJ elaborated that Hale’s pilferage of the movies was premeditated and systematic. He would cache the DVD boxes near a ‘malfunctioning emergency door’, sever the security tape, and transport them to his vehicle after the working hours to evade getting caught.
Interestingly, the government and the defense agreed that the firearm was not specifically associated with the breach of copyright laws. The DoJ perceives these as separate crimes and thus, argues that their sentencing should not be lumped together, contrary to the suggestions made in the pre-sentence report.
On the firearm charge, the government proposed a prison sentence of 57 months, which is at the lower end of their 57 to 71-month range. This exceeded the 21-month prison term recommended for the breach of copyright, If the court concurs, Hale will have to complete the more extended sentence related to the firearms offense.
Earlier this month, Hale’s defense sought a reduction in the sentence, stating that the firearm had no connection with the stolen films. They concentrated their efforts on reducing the sentencing through other means, concluding that a span of 37 to 46 months would be more fitting for the circumstances.
The defense argued that the firearm wasn’t Hale’s property and was present ‘due to random occurrence’. They also counter-argued the claim that his prior attempted burglary conviction should be classified under ‘crime of violence’. They pleaded for leniency from the court, portraying Hale as a man who erred significantly after battling with life’s hardships.
Despite his disadvantaged upbringing, Hale, they pointed out, had earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. In the forthcoming weeks, the Tennessee Federal Court is the declared venue for the announcement of Hale’s sentence. Pertinently, the MPA has expressed interest in making submissions before the court finalizes the decision.
The movie industry representative group, which is acting on behalf of the victims in this case, has asserted that it aims to address the court during the sentencing. In a statement shared with the court, the MPA underlines that the movie studios suffered considerable financial drawbacks due to Hale’s actions. It is estimated that the financial implications could be in the range of ‘many tens of millions of dollars’, according to Larissa Knapp from the MPA, who noted that the leaked Spider-Man movie had been downloaded millions of times before its formal release.
The post Man Guilty of Stealing Yet-to-be-Released Films Faces Court appeared first on Real News Now.
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