The FBI was alerted that music “still in the process of being developed” by the rapper was available for sale online
A former employee of Eminem has been charged with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods in connection with the sale of unreleased music by the Grammy-winning rapper.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI was alerted on Jan. 16, 2025, by employees of the rapper’s studio in Ferndale, Michigan who discovered unreleased music created by Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, that had leaked online and was available for sale. Per the filing, employees recognized an image of a list of the unreleased music by Mathers on the internet as an image taken from a hard drive in the studio. The FBI identified multiple individuals that purchased the unreleased music, and those individuals identified Joseph Strange, was an employee of Mathers from about 2007 until 2021, as the person selling the music. The music “was still in the process of being developed by” the rapper, per a press release.
“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” said Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck, who announced the charges against Strange.
Strange faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted on the charge of criminal infringement of a copyright. The former employee also faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison if convicted on of the charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods.