Tennessee Man Charged for Leaking Pre-Release Movies Online

Steven Hale faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly stealing DVDs and Blu-rays of major films and sharing digital copies before their release dates.

Steven Hale, 37, is accused of stealing pre-release DVDs and Blu-rays from his employer, a company involved in distributing movies for major studios.
Hale allegedly ripped and shared digital copies of films, including 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' 'Dune,' and 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,' online before their official release.
The Department of Justice estimates that the leaked copies of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' alone were downloaded tens of millions of times, causing significant financial losses to Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Hale faces charges of criminal copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods, with a combined potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
This case highlights broader efforts by authorities to crack down on copyright infringement, with billions of dollars’ worth of seizures reported in recent years.