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Leak Star Wars, Go To Jail

Posted by chrisd on from the prosecuting-betrayal dept.

Shea O'Brien Foley, a former production assistant at LucasFilm, has been arrested on 13 counts of theft of Star Wars material from LucasFilm worth $450,000. The police investigation was launched after an early Attack of the Clones cut was leaked to and reviewed by Aint It Cool News in March, two months before it hit theaters. Other than the fact that Ain't It Cool News and Harry Knowles aren't being charged with anything, police aren't saying much. Apparently, Jedi mind tricks didn't work on the arresting officers. Update: 10/14 23:51 GMT by T : Michael Singer points to an article on internet.com with more depth.

44 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. Jedi Mind Tricks by scrote-ma-hote · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course they didn't work. The guy's not a JEDI! You can't just pull something like that off, without years and years of training. Sheesh.

    1. Re:Jedi Mind Tricks by BollocksToThis · · Score: 5, Funny

      But he put it on his census form!

      --
      This sig is part of your complete breakfast.
    2. Re:Jedi Mind Tricks by bmajik · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually, it does't require years of training, hard work, vitamins, or anything else.

      See, thanks to EP1, it turns out that the force was all along a system of genetic advantage backed class superiority. Gone is the happy message of "work hard, do the right thing, and you will be honored".

      Now, it's "hope you had the right parents, dirtbag"

      --
      My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
    3. Re:Jedi Mind Tricks by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
      "This IS the droid we're looking for!"

      "D'oh!"

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    4. Re:Jedi Mind Tricks by kcbrown · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Yeah, but EP2 showed that the people who have the most of that genetic advantage aren't allowed to reproduce, at least on the Light Side.

      So I guess that means that the Sith are going to kick the Jedis' ass simply due to sheer numbers...except that they limit their own numbers to two in the entire galaxy (a master an an apprentice. Guess that means they go out of their way to kill anyone else who has aspirations of becoming a Sith), unless the Jedi are simply deluding themselves about the Sith to make themselves feel better...

      Looks to me like all these Force wielders are idiots. No wonder they've all but disappeared by the time of EP6...

      --
      Use 'slashdot stuff' in the subject line in any email you send me if you want to get past the spam filter.
    5. Re:Jedi Mind Tricks by carlfish · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This misconception annoys me.

      Yes, the prequels sucked. Yes, the "midichlorian" thing was annoying because it replaces something that was comfortingly mystical: "I can feel the Force is strong in this one" with trek-like technobabble. "Oooh, his midichlorian count is off the scale!"

      However, the idea that sensitivity to the Force ran in your family was pretty apparent throughout the first series. Even in the first Star Wars, you're left with the idea that Luke gets his ability in the Force from his father. It gets clearer towards the end of the trilogy. Think of Yoda's last words - "There is another Skywalker", or Luke talking to Leia in ROTJ: "The Force is strong in my family." All TPM did was take an idea that was already there (Force sensitivity runs in bloodlines) and over-explains it until it becomes dull.

      Charles Miller

      --
      The more I learn about the Internet, the more amazed I am that it works at all.
  2. Movie pirates by dattaway · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And the movie industry keeps pushing for copy protection on video cameras just in case of the remote chance someone should shoot the screen and steal a movie. But an insider got the original and leaked it. Imagine that.

    1. Re:Movie pirates by garcia · · Score: 5, Informative

      they need to send "screener" copies to many people so that they can give good reviews on the movies. I would say that these copies are the ones that are most generally leaked to the Internet.

      See TMD's copy of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (which had a counter running in the top corner of the screen the entire movie), or Signs which had a red line moving from top left to bottom right every so often. Other movies I have seen that were found on the Internet have long scrolling messages from the MPAA about reporting if you have purchased or found this release anywhere except an offical source...

      I absolutely *refuse* to watch CAM versions of movies that have been put on the net. I would rather wait for the DiVX copy of the DVD or the screener.

      Most of the problems occur internally, not at the theater. They are just being annoying.

    2. Re:Movie pirates by scott1853 · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's why Lucas wants all the actors to be computerized.

      After he achieves that, he'll start working on making all production assistants robotic.

    3. Re:Movie pirates by Quirk · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I know a few people in the film industry and Production Assistants ( especially 3rds ) are usually people who have film degrees but have failed in every aspect of the business. Maybe the guy was in his 30s, knew he wasn't going any where and decided to deploy his own 'golden parachute'

      --
      "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
      Cohen
    4. Re:Movie pirates by sharkey · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...Lucas wants all the actors to be computerized.

      As opposed to wooden, like in AotC?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    5. Re:Movie pirates by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 5, Funny

      I absolutely *refuse* to watch CAM versions of movies that have been put on the net. I would rather wait for the DiVX copy of the DVD or the screener.

      Be ye steadfast in yar principles, video pirate. I tip me hat to ye, arr..

    6. Re:Movie pirates by Monkelectric · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I've worked in alot of different workplaces where there was theft ... and here's a few rules I've developed:

      Normally honest people will steal when they think there is 0 chance of being caught.

      People will steal the *stupidest* things just because they can.

      People develop a sense of entitlement to what they are stealing.

      The risk is almost never worth the item stolen.

      I've seen people risk graduate degrees to steal reams of paper, risk a 200k job to steal 10k worth of stuff ...

      --

      Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

  3. Well, it's only lawful by dwaggie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who cares how much hype there is, illegal is illegal. He stole what would be a viable product being engineered (and not finished) by a company. Outside of breaking contract, and just poor ethical judgement, he also just plain stole material before it was released.

    I have no beef with after its release. People are going to see a movie for the effect whether they get a pirated version or not, in almost every case I know of (as far as) movie piracy.

    We don't need no water ...

    1. Re:Well, it's only lawful by Henry+V+.009 · · Score: 5, Informative

      He didn't steal something--stealing is depriving someone of a good that they own. No one was deprived, however he did violate copyright law and contract law.

      This is illegal, of course. But how much damage did he do? The $450,000 figure is probably silly. I'd imagine that no money was actually lost. Anyone hard up enough to acquire the pirated good before release certainly went to watch it in theatre.

      illegal is illegal

      Hardly. There are levels of crimes. We don't punish traffic code violators like we do murderers. With no real damage, this is on the level of petty misdemeanor.

    2. Re:Well, it's only lawful by Stonehand · · Score: 5, Informative

      From an article with actual substance rather than a big graphic of the reporter:

      Among the stolen items that were recovered, according to the affidavit:

      ? Nineteen CD-ROM discs containing the entire restricted library of sound effects
      created during the past 25 years for use in the "Star Wars" films, with an
      estimated "collectible value" of $95,000.

      ? More than 2,000 high-quality digital images from "Episode II," valued at
      $125,000.

      ? Hundreds of video files of "Episode II," from concept shots to final clips,
      valued at $100,000.

      ? About 113 storyboard images - or sketches outlining scenes from the film - with
      handwritten notes by Lucas, valued at more than $100,000.

      and

      When threatened with dismissal, Foley admitted that he had taken photo images,
      storyboards and a script for "Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace," but "nothing
      big," according to the court document. He specifically denied having a copy of
      "Episode II."

      Foley said he was an "avid fan" and had taken the items for his "souvenir
      collection" at his Petaluma home, according to the court document.

      Foley agreed to allow Webb to look through the items at his home and when they
      arrived at his Lakeville Circle townhouse the investigator saw "tons of 'Star
      Wars' items," Webb said in the affidavit. Foley turned over numerous items,
      including 25 CDs with images of the film, three videotapes of "Episode I"
      voice-over tests, 115 storyboard image strips and a hard disk drive with
      downloaded photo images.

      He (or his mother, who lives in the Irvine residence cited below) also, perhaps, attempted to destroy evidence:

      Authorities served a search warrant at the Irvine residence the next day, the
      court document said, and found "Star Wars" production photos in a trash can, as
      well as shredded documents that appeared to be "Star Wars" sketches.

      --
      Only the dead have seen the end of war.
    3. Re:Well, it's only lawful by _Sprocket_ · · Score: 5, Insightful


      Stealing, to me, is not depriving someone of a good that they own, but depriving someone of the ideal of safety.

      I find this to be an amazing concept. Tell me - how often are you a victom of theft? When the neighborhood thug looks at you a little too long - did he just steal from you? Are you affraid your employer may have to lay you off due to economic pressure... and thus steal your livelihood? Is the increase in political violence direct theft on your person?

      Think you could get any form of law enforcement to make a case of these examples of theft?

      I don't.

  4. Punish the lawbreakers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    He should be put into jail. He broke the law!

    I need an mp3 copy of Black Sabbath Paranoid. Could you send me a copy?

    thanks

  5. spoiler! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Luke is Vader's son!

  6. Is there an issue here? by perrin5 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This hardly seems like news to me. Assuming of course, that this fellow had to sign an NDA to come to work every day (are there any industry people who know about this stuff present?), he did a BAD thing.

    If there wasn't, there are still some fairly blatant theft issues here.

    --
    hmmmm?
  7. 13 accounts? by Jonny+Ringo · · Score: 5, Funny

    man, how many star wars movies aren't out yet?

  8. I wonder if he leaked the DVD also..... by xjerky · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ....It was realeased on the warez scene back in August, yet the movie isn't due out until November. And it was the real DVD, not some badly-made bootleg (though slighty downsampled to fit on a DVD-R, you can barely tell the difference).

    --
    A sentence you'll never see on an Internet discussion board: "You know what? You're right."
  9. Little sympathy by Drawkcab · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well, this was very poor judgement on his part, but he knew he was taking a risk when he did it. This would be a very different story if it were some kid who uploaded a divx of the movie on a file sharing network, but this was an insider who was entrusted with that material and chose to violate that trust, so I have little sympathy for him. If copyright infringement is stealing, then this is embezzlement, and thats a far greater ethical lapse because the only reason its possible to embezzle is that you were entrusted not to.

  10. How do you calculate the damage? by jukal · · Score: 5, Funny
    was arrested last week and charged with 13 counts of felony for the theft of an estimated $450,000 worth of "Star Wars"-related material from his ex-employer

    Is it a certain a percentage of the revenues? I mean, if the movie had proved to be a complete flop and would have generated negative revenue for Lucas Film. Say minus $420 million dollars, should Lucas Film actually pay the ex-employer for stealing it :))

    1. Re:How do you calculate the damage? by Em+Emalb · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Is it a certain a percentage of the revenues? "

      Nah, It was RLGN. Random Lawyer Generated Numbers. They take a number three times higher than the average guy not named Lucas can make in 4 years and go with that. Thought this was common knowledge? :)

      --
      Sent from your iPad.
  11. Damages? by timeOday · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Assumably the punishment will be base on the value of the "thing" stolen. How is that caclulated? Or will the guy go up on a more generic charge like breech of contract?

    1. Re:Damages? by Thurn+und+Taxis · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This is an excellent point. IANAL, but I think they can only base the cost of the theft on (1) the market value of the items stolen, or (2) actual (not potential) loss of revenue resulting from the theft. It sounds like they wouldn't have much of a case with (2), so they're going with (1) and arguing that most of the items have a high collectible value. If they could argue potential losses, the guy would probably be charged with millions in theft....

      --
      On stereophonic equipment, the monaural sound obtained through multiple channels will enhance your listening pleasure.
    2. Re:Damages? by InnovATIONS · · Score: 4, Informative
      The Internet News article said that the 450K was the actual cost of the items stolen. They guy apparently had quite a horde of stolen stuff from all of the films that he had worked on.

      No, this will not be prosecuted as a breach-of-contract. It will most likely be prosecuted as plain and simple grand theft. Lucasfilm will most likely not try to sue this guy for financial damages because this guy hardly has the money to be worth the suit.

      What is more important to Lucasfilm is a publicized case to make folks think twice about lifting stuff from a film set (as happened very recently from the set of The Cat in the Hat film).

  12. What drama! by splattertrousers · · Score: 4, Funny
    I wonder if the defendant's jail cell is next to a garbage chute that has an exit near his ship?

    And after he's found guilty, I wonder if he'll be thrown in some sort of pit containing some sort of monster and from which he couldn't possibly escape.

  13. Waddaminute! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are you trying to tell me that the actors in the last two StarWars films were REAL?!?!

  14. DMV Cops? by shoppa · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Foley, 30, moved back to his native Southern California earlier this year to work at NBC. He was arrested at his Burbank workplace at 10:10 a.m. yesterday by officers with the Department of Motor Vehicles' computer forensics and investigations office.

    The DMV cops? How do they figure in?

    Maybe the real cops and the FBI didn't think there was a case to pursue?

    1. Re:DMV Cops? by llamalicious · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's because it was a moving picture violation.

      *ducks*

  15. George Lucas by Gizzmonic · · Score: 4, Interesting
    he seems to be the focus of a lot of geek hatred since the phantom menace. slashdot has run a lot of stuff showcasing his ugly side, whether it's his prissy creator's attitude towards fanfic or now having this fellow arrested.

    i don't know whether that was exactly the right call, but i bet the guy doesn't serve much jail time. his name in hollywood is mud, so he'll probably go back to debuque or wherever and start a new career making indie films about black lesbians rediscovering the joy of lyme disease.

    oh and another thing. i predict matt groening to be the next target of geek betrayal and disgust. we've all known and loved him for the simpsons, but when the movies come out, they are gonna suck, and no one will remember him fondly anymore, and they will invent their own simpsons mythos that makes more sense.

    then george lucas and matt groening will have a beard staring contest, and the loser will have to shave it off on PBS during fund drive week. at least that's what i heard.

    --
    (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
  16. Erm, by Schnapple · · Score: 5, Interesting
    am I missing something here? This guy did Lucasfilm a favor. The geeks of the world were perturbed by The Phantom Menace and a few probably vowed to never see another prequel. However, Harry "LOTR OWNZ ME" Knowles says, "nah, this is good..." and the geeks regain faith. I mean, you can't buy that kind of publicity.

    Of course, at $300 million, Attack of the Clones didn't pull in nearly as much money as The Phantom Menace, nor did it do as well as Spider-Man, itself a $450 million film, but consider this: TPM was more for children (not surprising in the long run, given that the lead character was a child), so kids went to go see it en masse, dragging parents along, for multiple showings. Box office gold. AOTC, what with its violence (Boba Fett picking up Jango's helmet and with the head falling out probably didn't make parents happy), lack of Jar-Jar (kids these days don't know who Yoda is), and love story, didn't make the kids want to go see it over and over again. Spider-Man, however, did. No surprise there. Plus don't forget that Spider-Man had the bizarre "luck" of being a movie about a superhero saving NYC in a post-9/11 world. The USA decided they liked that idea quite a bit (especially with the New Yorkers bonding on the bridge against the bad guy towards the end).

    I personally think the reason AOTC didn't do as well as TPM was because it was the middle film. I walked out of there thinking "great - now I want to see the ending" (episode 3). My test of this theory will be how The Two Towers fares...

    --

    Schnapple

  17. Oh, but they CAN (Was Re:Jedi Mind Tricks) by danish · · Score: 5, Funny

    What are you talking about? Jedi mind tricks can and do work on arresting officers, even without years of training.

  18. Let's get this straight.... by VivianC · · Score: 5, Funny

    From the Marin Newspaper:

    Foley agreed to allow Webb to look through the items at his home and when they arrived at his Lakeville Circle townhouse the investigator saw "tons of 'Star Wars' items," Webb said in the affidavit. Foley turned over numerous items, including 25 CDs with images of the film, three videotapes of "Episode I" voice-over tests, 115 storyboard image strips and a hard disk drive with downloaded photo images.

    Someone send a copy of this story to the RIAA and MPAA. THIS is stealing. Someone has been deprived of property! Throw the book at this clown.

    Gotta run and see if maybe he put some of these sound effects on GNUtella before he got busted. I need a clean light-sabre .WAV file.

    --
    Viv

    Gmail invites for ip
  19. Ouch! by nightsweat · · Score: 5, Funny

    If he's going to jail, I bet he wishes he'd leaked a better movie...

    --

    the major advances in civilization are processes which all but wreck the societies in which they occur - A.N. White
  20. OH HELL NO. by unicron · · Score: 4, Flamebait

    You've done it now. Don't you know that all of us at Slashdot can justify ANY type of action with ANY type of media? Lemme whip out my magic 8 ball of "why I pirated this movie"..(SHAKING)..ahh, haven't seen that one in a while: "I wasn't going to pay to see it in the theatre anyways, so I can download it because Lucas isn't losing money either way"..any oldie but goody. Maybe next time you'll think twice before you bring your "laws" in here. I mean honestly, I didn't like the last Star Wars movie, so I have to be entitled to download burn this one to divx for compensation, right? It's only fair.

    --
    Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
    1. Re:OH HELL NO. by DaytonCIM · · Score: 5, Insightful

      LOL!

      I mean honestly, I didn't like the last Star Wars movie, so I have to be entitled to download burn this one to divx for compensation, right? It's only fair.

      You nailed it, my friend. 99% of the movie, music, software pirates justify their actions with the "I deserve it" excuse.

      "I have been a fan of Star Wars since I was 9, so I deserve to 'own' a copy before anyone else."

      "I deserve lower prices at the box office, so I'll just download an illegal copy."

      "I wasn't going to pay to see it in the theatre anyways, so I can download it because Lucas isn't losing money either way"

      It burns me that some in the /. community can jump up and down and scream when Microsoft begins to charge for something they think should be free.

      Shout the praises of Linus when he releases something new for free.

      And support people that pirate a movie like Star Wars... a movie funded SOLELY by George Lucas.

      Review:
      It's ok to pirate Microsoft, 'cause they're bad.
      It's not ok to pirate Linux, 'cause they're good.
      It's ok to pirate Star Wars, 'cause Mr. Lucas has enough money already (forget that he employs nearly 2000 people).

      I love /. community logic.

    2. Re:OH HELL NO. by unicron · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Damn, I thought I was alone. Don't let it get you down, though. In the world technology and computing, /. is a joke. No one takes this site seriously anymore, and it's dismissed as a haven of wanna-be hackers and software pirates. What's funny is, watch how the posts die down during weekends. My bet is it's because /. is generally "tolerable-browsing" in the workplace, so you'll notice higher numbers during weekdays.

      --
      Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
  21. Stolen by Shea O'Brien Foley by geigertube · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pirates, nothing, the movie industry needs to keep an eye on the Irish.

    Hmm. Reversing this, Im suddenly seeing the those Lucky Charms commercials as an analogy for the MPAA vs video pirates. :)

  22. Such a lovely legal system by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Take a copy of a movie and show it to other people while not making any money, go to jail.

    Make millions as a CEO through deception and fraud destroying the financial lives of thousands and contributing to the collapse of the economy as a whole... you can go free.

    Sell a relitivly harmless plant to someone to help them releave stress, go to jail.

    Make billions by putting out drugs at prices that bankrupt people less they die... you can go free. ... there examples a pleanty. But the moral of the story is, in America's justice system it's only really wrong if you don't make a fortune.

    --
    The Internet is generally stupid
  23. Unfounded allegations. by Performer+Guy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is complete bullshit. There's nothing here that suggests he stole the film, he didn't even have a copy.

    The guy has a few copies of starwars production images and some audio effects on CDROM and they accuse him of theft. He's a production assistant, are you telling me this isn't commonplace? They all have this kind of stuff lying around. As for the storyboards, look at the memerobelia that regularly surfaces after years, that would otherwise have been thrown in the trash if some grip hadn't grabbed it. Not only do they have the gall to charge him with theft mind you, but grand theft! The guy's an ex-employee and has some images on a CDROM he didn't use and it's "grand" theft. He didn't deprive Lucasfilm of their use and he didn't use them illegally, they were just lying on his disk.

    Lucasfilm you hypocrites, look at your own hard disks and 'souvenir' collections and then examine your conscience, if you have any.

    Let this be a lesson to the reader, DON'T work for Lucasfilm, DON'T have anything to do with the assholes.

    A fishing expedition fails to catch what they're looking for so they charge the guy for something many of them do.

  24. Umm .. can you say 'FAN' by RembrandtX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Lets face it folks, anyone who is a fan of something .. then finds themselves in a position of WORKING for a company that produces what they love .. is going to wind up with stuff.

    I worked for games-workshop .. and man .. the stuff people would ask to take home. Big card board cutouts of orks .. dice .. tape measures with 'games-workshop' on them.

    I personally have FOUR jackets given to me by the company .. some signed artwork from the studio in the UK, a japanese bayonette , [I helped start Gmaes-Workshop Japan], a few coffee mugs from the studio I worked in, (we were all given mugs) and tonnes of toy soldiers that were not released.

    The studio often passed out copies of rules for games that were not out yet .. asking folks to take them home and read them over (i have a bunch of this stuff still to.)

    My point being, this kid worked for friggen STAR WARS. If he really was such a goober on this stuff .. of COURSE he brought some stuff home .. Hell .. some or all of it could have even been legimitate.

    I work for Black & Decker now .. and every once in a while someone will give me one of the tools they are producing .. if to say 'thanks for working on my project' or to bribe me to get theirs done before someone elses .. it doesnt matter. These are written off by the guys who have 100's of them to give away.

    SO lets get back to lucas. Some drafter is working on scenery .. has a few duplicates of storyboards to work off off (photo copies .. or what not) finishes his job .. and the geek who was running the rotoscoping camera over it asked if he was just gonna throw those out.

    This guy thinkgs its kinda cute that the geek is drooling over a copy of this story board (that now has epoxy stuck to it) and makes his day by giving it to him.

    Imagine, a REAL fan boy .. who gets himself into this situation as much as he can. [Knowing folks in the Video Game industry, at Games Workshop, At Wizards of the Coast .. I can rest assured from PERSONAL experience .. This happens ALL the time .. some geeks would rather take home something 'cool' from their job than go to lunch .. so the spend their lunch hours talking to the guys who don't need this stuff anymore.

    Now is this going to be the case every time ? I don't know . but lets step back and look for a second. Its QUITE possible that all (or at least most) of the stuff this guy has .. was legimatly aquired .. or at least aquired the same way im sure 90% of the guys at SkyWalker Ranch have some cool prop from one of the movies at home.

    I mean, WHO wouldnt ??

    Ian McCullen has the door knocker off of Bilbo's Door at Bags End. Why is it so hard to believe that this guy ... considering his job .. might have either brought this stuff home for work purposes .. or just cause he was a geek ?

    --

    --Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum, non erravi pernicose!