Eminem’s ex employee charged with selling unreleased songs
A former sound engineer at Eminem's studio allegedly sold his unreleased tracks online
A suspect has been charged with pirating unreleased songs by Eminem.
According to Variety, federal prosecutors charged Eminem’s ex-employee with copyright infringement after he was accused of selling the unreleased tracks to individuals who later shared the songs online.
The former employee, identified as Joseph Strange, also faces charges for interstate transportation of stolen goods.
The criminal complaint filed on Wednesday reveals that Strange worked for Eminem from 2007 until 2021. He operated as a sound engineer at the rapper's recording studio in Ferndale, Michigan.
Eminem's spokesman, Dennis Dennehy, revealed in a statement, “Eminem and his team are very appreciative of the efforts by the FBI Detroit bureau for its thorough investigation, which led to the charges against Joe Strange.”
Dennehy also emphasised the financial and psychological harm done to Eminem by a supposedly trusted employee. The spokesman said these greedy practices cause significant setbacks to artists and the music industry alike.
Eminem’s studio contacted the FBI after the stolen songs surfaced online earlier this year. The Bureau found hard drives with the stolen tracks at Strange's house.
The FBI has also identified several people who allegedly bought the songs from Strange to share them on the internet.
Strange faces up to 5 years in prison for copyright infringement and 10 years if charged with transporting stolen goods across states.
