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Sentencing of Steven R. Hale for Unreleased Movie Theft and Distribution

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1 unique sources, 1 articles

Summary

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Steven R. Hale, a former employee of a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing and distribution company, has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing and selling digital copies of unreleased movies. Hale stole numerous discs of movies prepared for commercial distribution in the U.S. between February 2021 and March 2022. He sold ripped versions of these movies through various e-commerce sites, causing significant financial losses to the copyright owners. Hale's actions included stealing and distributing pre-release copies of blockbuster movies such as "Godzilla v. Kong," "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," "Dune," "F9: The Fast Saga," "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," "Black Widow," and "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The digital copy of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was illegally shared online more than a month before its official release, resulting in tens of millions of downloads and substantial financial losses.

Timeline

  1. 12.09.2025 14:36 1 articles · 17d ago

    Steven R. Hale Sentenced for Unreleased Movie Theft and Distribution

    A Tennessee court sentenced Steven R. Hale to 57 months in prison for stealing and selling digital copies of unreleased movies between February 2021 and March 2022. Hale's actions included distributing pre-release copies of blockbuster movies through various e-commerce sites, causing significant financial losses to the copyright owners. The digital copy of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was illegally shared online more than a month before its official release, resulting in tens of millions of downloads and substantial financial losses.

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Information Snippets

  • Steven R. Hale, a 37-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing and selling digital copies of unreleased movies.

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources
  • Hale stole numerous discs of movies prepared for commercial distribution in the U.S. between February 2021 and March 2022.

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources
  • Hale sold ripped versions of these movies through various e-commerce sites, causing significant financial losses to the copyright owners.

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources
  • Hale's actions included stealing and distributing pre-release copies of blockbuster movies such as "Godzilla v. Kong," "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," "Dune," "F9: The Fast Saga," "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," "Black Widow," and "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources
  • The digital copy of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was illegally shared online more than a month before its official release, resulting in tens of millions of downloads and substantial financial losses.

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources
  • Hale admitted to criminal copyright infringement and agreed to fully compensate the victims, including returning approximately 1,160 DVDs and Blu-rays that investigators had confiscated.

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources
  • Hale also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm found with one round in the chamber and 13 in the magazine.

    First reported: 12.09.2025 14:36
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources