CEO Steve Buchsbaum states, "We learned, almost 6 months ago, that some employees were illegally in possession of unreleased feature films. These employees did so without the knowledge or authorization of Lightning Media. Apparently, they were able to circumvent our stringent piracy protection controls. We worked closely with the FBI to identify the perpetrators and to put a stop to the piracy. We delayed the terminations of the suspected employees until the FBI completed its investigation. At the conclusion of this investigation the suspected employees were terminated from Lightning Media for violating company security policies and federal anti-copyright laws.
The issue of piracy has been plaguing the industry for several years and as a result facilities such as ours have had to tighten security measures to safe guard our clients work. When I joined the company in August of 2003 we began implementing tighter security policies, including new limited access control, an enhanced asset tracking system and construction of new security access entrances."
The FBI acknowledges Lightning Media's cooperation and states that at no time was Lightning Media under investigation itself but only that the accused were employed there. In fact, the majority of the titles originated elsewhere but were found in possession of these individuals, not at Lightning Media. Lightning Media, according to the FBI is not culpable in anyway for the acts of copyright violation. In fact, it is fortuitous that Lightning Media was able to assist in putting a stop to an ever growing problem in the entertainment industry.
"Throughout my 11 year history at Lightning Dubbs, I have worked and will continue to work with the most upstanding people in the industry. The stellar reputation Lightning has built with its clients is not reflected in the actions of these individuals who acted completely on their own. Lightning Media has fully cooperated in this investigation to pinpoint the actions of these three individuals. Since these three individuals represent a very small portion of our company, we will pursue all remedies available to us in an effort to preserve the integrity of Lightning Media and its associates," states Cheryl Brady, President of Lightning Media.
"No one is immune from this type of situation," states Buchsbaum. "As the internet is increasingly accessible as a means of broadcasting information, it is an era where the need for tighter security is necessary. We at Lightning Media feel that we have successfully executed our security measures and this does not affect our clients and our business."
