Man pleads guilty to uploading DVD screeners of 'The Revenant' and 'The Peanuts Movie'

William Moriarty has pled guilty to illegally copying and uploading DVD screeners of 'The Revenant' and 'The Peanuts Movie,' unreleased films that he acquired while working on a studio lot.

"As the Academy Awards ceremony this weekend highlights, the entertainment industry is the economic cornerstone of the Central District of California," said US Attorney Eileen Decker said in the statement. "The defendant's conduct harmed the very industry that was providing his livelihood as well as the livelihood of others in Southern California."

The FBI began an immediate investigation after a dozen DVD screeners appeared over the holidays including high-profile films like The Big Short, Revenant, Spotlight and more.

"The FBI will continue to pursue those who steal intellectual property, a crime that negatively impacts the U.S. economy, and in the case of a movie leak, victimizes everyday workers in the entertainment industry," David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said in the statement.

Moriarty could face up to three years but will likely see less for his plea deal.

Source:
THR

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 29 Feb 2016 22:13

ronhondo

The FBI is using their resources to help the Movie industry ? With all that is going on with islamic terrorism ? Is this really important ? Now you understand what lobbyists are about. WAKE UP AMERICA !

1.3.2016 17:39 #1

Bozobub

Look, I pirate plenty, but it WAS a crime. It was even actual criminal theft, for once - instead of a a civil case - which is quite unusual for intellectual property cases.

Furthermore, just because a given type of crime exists, doesn't mean that you ignore other types of crime. That's an incredibly silly thing to suggest. That very same argument ("Why pay attention to {X}, since {Y} still exists?") is NEVER valid. For example, if someone says to you, "How can you decry civil rights abuses in other countries, when the US has such a spotty history, itself?" is similarly invalid; there's nothing at all stopping you from condemning both. It's simply not valid logic to imply otherwise.

Additionally, in the US you're FAR more likely to be struck by lightning at any given time than you are to even witness first hand, much less experience a terrorist attack! Less hyperbolic fear, more thought, please.

2.3.2016 15:23 #2

SoTired

I agree that there are more important things for the federal government to focus its limited resources on than file uploaders.

3.3.2016 03:13 #3

DirkMaste

Could someone please point to the actual harm "piracy" does? We hear a lot of claims, but I've not seen a smidgen of proof that wasn't based on absurdist assumptions.

4.3.2016 11:58 #4

Bozobub

What this guy did was not software "piracy" - a civil matter (tort law) - but rather, he stole actual, physical DVD screeners; not even remotely the same thing, either de facto or de jure.

Yes, the RIAA/MPAA (and the FBI), as well as other IP flacks, definitely tries to push piracy as a "crime", and it generally is in the US, depending on local/state/federal applicable laws (it varies wildly, however, by locale), but it still is not "theft", no matter how much they would like it to be. It's merely an intellectual property violation, which is a civil matter.

That said, trying to argue that releasing DVD screeners even before the actual movies' release date didn't harm the studio(s) in any way is simply asinine, at best. It's not arguable by anyone who uses analytical thought in any way. Yes, IP owners always overstate the harm done, but on the other hand, pirates egregiously minimize it. Both sides are full of poo.

And remember, this is coming from an inveterate pirate! But you know, completely hosing content creators is a great way to not see quality content. Don't try to preach "information wants to be free" to me, when you simply want a game, movie, or whatever and don't want to pay for it!; neither side of the IP argument smells particularly like roses, so get off the high horse, folks, if you would be so kind.

4.3.2016 13:47 #5

KillerBug

Originally posted by Bozobub: trying to argue that releasing DVD screeners even before the actual movies' release date didn't harm the studio(s) in any way is simply asinine, at best. The facts don't necessarily back that up...movies with leaked screeners tend to do better; it is almost advertising.

But, even if it did cost them money, who would care? The only people theoretically being hurt are the theaters that charge $8 for a soda and the studios that are STILL whitewashing. The whole industry is screwed anyway...can you imagine if an artist released a new album and for the first 3-6 months the only way to hear it was to go to an album theater? Everyone would call the artist insane...yet it is the standard for Hollywood.

7.3.2016 16:41 #6

Bozobub

Again, that doesn't matter, because THIS time, actual theft of physical copies of the screeners occurred. IP violations aren't "theft", of themselves, but stealing DVDs certainly is. It really is that simple.

I'm not trying to argue the morality of piracy either way, but physical theft is inarguably a crime, and should be prosecuted as such.

7.3.2016 17:39 #7

KillerBug

I don't deny that it is a crime, I just say it isn't wrong. There is a difference. In Nazi Germany, it was a crime to protect jews...but it wasn't wrong. (just an example; not calling the studios Hitler or anything)

8.3.2016 17:23 #8

ronhondo

The Revenant movie stunk ! DeCrapio is a liberal idiot ! A person has to be nuts to spend $10 to sit in a disgusting movie house and bring home bedbugs. hollywood also has to shove their Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender crap down our throats. I would not pay a quarter to see their garbage. Also the FBI under Obama is the worst ! They are worried about useless movies and do give a hoot about Hillarys email scandal or terrorism for that matter. The whole country is upsidedown. They all stink !

9.3.2016 23:06 #9

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