Illegal Distribution of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Lands One Man in Federal Prison for a Year

Sharing X-Men Origins:  Wolverine on Megaupload.com almost a month prior to its May 2009 release date resulted in a one-year prison sentence for a New York man.  According to Gilberto Sanchez's guilty plea, he purchased an unfinished copy of the movie on a Bronx street corner and subsequently uploaded the film for all to see. 

Unfortunately for Sanchez, he was either unaware or defiant of the criminal copyright laws that specifically outlaw uploading copyrighted works being prepared for commercial distribution--the Huffington Post reports that Sanchez had a prior offense for similar acts (so assumedly he was aware)--and ultimately pled guilty to releasing a pirated copy of X-Men Origins:  Wolverine.

A California federal court, on December 19, sentenced Sanchez to one year in federal prison, one year of supervision after release from prison, and even restricted his computer rights after release.  Matthew Belloni of The Hollywood Reporter noted that U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte, Jr., stated, "[t]he federal prison sentence in this case sends a strong message of deterrence to would-be Internet pirates....[t]he Justice Department will pursue and prosecute persons who seek to steal the intellectual property of this nation."

This case should be eye-opening for the seemingly numerous participants engaged in downloading, streaming, or uploading pirated movies--or any other protected media for that matter.  Not only are monetary punishments available for copyright infringement, but in certain circumstances, infringers can also face prison time.