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MPAA’s top legal attack dog fired

by on29 August 2019


Facing charges of second-degree sexual abuse, blackmail and karma

Steven Fabrizio, a top executive at the Motion Picture Association of America, has been fired following charges of second-degree sexual abuse and blackmail.

Fabrizio has been threatening pirates for nearly a decade. The Sony Pictures email leak showed that Fabrizio was the mastermind behind Hollywood's Project Goliath to use MPAA/Hollywood Studio funds to pay for having state Attorney's General and news media owned by those studios, to attack Google to try to pressure it into some "deal" with the studios.

Before that, he was the top litigator at the RIAA and led its charge against Napster. Fabrizio was deeply involved in crucial copyright lawsuits, including the fights against Grokster, Hotfile, and Aereo.

There is not much in the history of "anti-piracy" litigation and "anti-piracy" efforts regarding the internet, that was somehow touched by Steve Fabrizio. And he had been touting the mantra "piracy is illegal" throughout his career.

According to a police affidavit, Fabrizio is accused of threatening a woman he met on a 'sugar daddy' dating site. The police allege that Fabrizio and the woman had consensual sex once on 19 August after which he paid her $400. After that, she did not want to see him again.

According to the affidavit, Fabrizio sent numerous texts insisting on a second meeting and threatening to expose her if she did not comply. "I know where you live", he allegedly wrote. "I know where you work. Don't think -- Hospital would be happy to know that it's young nurses are having sex for money. Same for your landlord."

Fabrizio allegedly used those threats to coerce her into having sex again, according to the affidavit. The police allege that he then sent additional texts threatening to tell her parents if she did not continue to have sex with him a couple of times a month.

However, rather than giving in, the woman called the police. After arranging for another meeting, Fabrizio was arrested outside the woman's apartment on Friday morning, according to the document.

Last modified on 29 August 2019
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