A former employee of Eminem (Marshall Mathers) has been criminally charged in connection with the sale of unreleased music by the rap superstar, it was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck on Wednesday (March 19).
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI was contacted by employees of Eminem’s music studio in Ferndale, Michigan, to alert the agency that unreleased music created by the rapper was available for sale on the Internet. The FBI subsequently identified multiple people who purchased the unreleased music, all of whom identified Eminem’s former employee, Joseph Strange, as the person who was selling it. A press release states that the music “was still in the process of being developed by” the rapper.
If convicted on the charge of criminal copyright infringement, Strange faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction on a charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Strange worked for Eminem from 2007 to 2021, according to the press release.
“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” said Beck in a statement.
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists’ intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally,” added Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Thanks to the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio, FBI agents from the Oakland County Resident Agency were able to swiftly enforce federal laws and ensure Joseph Strange was held accountable for his actions.”
The case against Strange is being investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Alyse Wu.