Former Eminem Employee Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Over Unreleased Music
Photo: Washington TimesJoseph Strange, a 48-year-old former employee of rapper Eminem, pleaded guilty Thursday in Michigan's Eastern District to criminal copyright infringement for selling the artist's unreleased music without permission. The Justice Department said Strange worked for Eminem, whose legal name is Marshall Mathers, from about 2007 to 2021 at a Ferndale, Michigan studio. Prosecutors said he copied at least 10 audio files and sold them between July and August 2024 for about $50,000. Eminem learned in January 2025 that the music had leaked online, and the FBI identified Strange through buyers. Strange faces up to five years in prison, and prosecutors estimate the infringement at no less than $750,000.
Right-leaning sources differ most: the Daily Wire leads with the Trump Justice Department's win and adds sales figures, file counts and more than eight million plays, while the Washington Times stays brief. Left-leaning Rolling Stone leads with a Justice Department statement from Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. Alternative NewsNation and Reuters stick to the plea and copyright charge, citing the Justice Department and a court filing.
How the sides differ Right sources stress the Trump administration's role and dollar figures; left and alternative sources stress the plea and Justice Department statement.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
Rolling Stone leads with the plea and builds around the Justice Department statement from Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva about abuse of trust and protecting intellectual property.
NewsNation and Reuters report the plea in brief, citing the Justice Department and a court filing and focusing on the copyright infringement charge.
The Daily Wire frames the case as a Trump Justice Department win, detailing the $50,000 sale, file counts and streaming plays, while the Washington Times reports the plea briefly.