The former sound engineer for American rapper Eminem has been charged with copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods after allegedly leaking and selling 25 unreleased songs for $50,000 in Bitcoin (BTC). Joseph Strange, 46, who worked at Eminem's studio in Ferndale, Michigan, violated a severance agreement that explicitly prohibited him from distributing the artist's music.
Leak Traced Through YouTube and Reddit
According to prosecutors cited by The New York Times, Strange sold 25 songs written by Eminem between 1999 and 2018 without consent from the rapper or Interscope Records, the rightful owner of the catalog. Strange lost his job in 2021 after four years at the studio. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan brought the charges after current employees at Eminem's studio discovered the songs being played on YouTube and Reddit. An affidavit from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that the stolen music had been stored on hard drives that were never connected to the internet for security reasons. “They [employees] were able to identify the music as having been stored on hard drives in the studio in Ferndale. These hard drives are not connected to the internet for security reasons,” the affidavit read.
FBI Raid and Legal Consequences
After Eminem became aware of the leak, one of his employees issued a social media warning against sharing the music. That warning prompted an anonymous tipster to expose a Canadian national who admitted buying the 25 songs from Strange in 2024. The Canadian claimed the Bitcoin used to purchase the music was raised by a group of Eminem fans. The FBI investigation culminated in a January raid on Strange's home, where agents recovered original handwritten lyric sheets by Eminem, among other items. Strange faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on one of the charges. Speaking through his lawyer, Strange stated he “will seek justice and fairness in the courtroom.” The case highlights the ongoing tension between digital copyright enforcement and the pseudonymous nature of cryptocurrency transactions.