With countless parties offering streaming based services, the
boundaries between legal and illegal content distribution have
become increasingly blurred. One case that brought this issue into
focus is United States v. Dallmann et al. 2:22-cr-00030
(D. Nev.), better known as the “Jetflicks” case. This
case is the largest internet piracy prosecution to-date to go to
trial in the United States.

What Was Jetflicks?

Jetflicks was a subscription-based streaming service that
operated like a legitimate platform but sourced its content from
pirate websites. At its peak, Jetflicks hosted over 183,000
television episodes, often uploading them within 24 hours of their
original broadcast. The service was accessible across smartphones,
smart TVs, and gaming consoles, mimicking the user experience of
mainstream platforms.

But behind the scenes, Jetflicks was powered by automated
scripts and software that scraped pirated content from the Internet
and redistributed it to its tens of thousands of paying
subscribers. This level of operational sophistication—and the
scale of the infringement—caught the attention of federal
prosecutors.

According to Matthew Galeotti, acting Assistant Attorney General
for the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Criminal
Division, Jetflicks “made available more television episodes
than any licensed streaming service on the market.”

The Charges and Convictions

In 2019, the DOJ charged eight individuals connected to
Jetflicks with criminal copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C.
§ 506 and 18 U.S.C. § 2319. The case was prosecuted in
the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.

Galeotti alleged that the “scheme generated millions of
dollars in criminal profits and hurt thousands of U.S. companies
and individuals who owned the copyrights to [television] shows but
never received a penny in compensation from Jetflicks.”

Jetflicks’ lead operator received a seven-year federal
prison sentence, while others received varying terms ranging from
time served to 18 months in prison. The DOJ emphasized that digital
piracy is not a victimless crime.

Why This Case Matters

Jetflicks is a landmark copyright case for several reasons. It
was the first illegal streaming service prosecution to go to trial
in the United States. Jetflicks marked a pivot toward targeting
digital platforms and automated content scraping operations.
Historically, criminal copyright cases focused on physical goods
like CDs and DVDs. Ultimately, the case sends a clear message to
operators of unauthorized streaming services—digital
distribution is subject to the same criminal penalties as physical
piracy.

The case shows that the DOJ is willing to intervene when civil
remedies aren’t enough. Criminal enforcement can be a powerful
deterrent in cases of large-scale infringement. Even platforms that
resemble legitimate businesses can face criminal liability if they
knowingly distribute pirated content. The case highlights the need
for a rare mix of expertise in both intellectual property law and
federal criminal procedure. Accordingly, attorneys advising tech
and media clients must prepare for the dual risks of civil and
criminal liability.

Ordinarily, copyright disputes in the United States are handled
through civil litigation, where the copyright owner brings a
lawsuit seeking damages or injunctions. These cases focus on
compensating the rights holder and stopping the infringing
activity, not criminally punishing the infringer. Criminal
enforcement of copyright law, by contrast, is rare and generally
reserved for cases of large-scale, willful, and commercially
motivated piracy that cause significant harm. The DOJ’s
decision to pursue Jetflicks with criminal charges, rather than
leaving enforcement to private lawsuits, underscores just how
unusual this case is. That choice highlights why Jetflicks
represents a turning point: it shows that the government is willing
to escalate copyright enforcement when civil remedies are viewed as
insufficient.

The Jetflicks case is more than just a cautionary tale, it’s
a turning point in how the U.S. government enforces copyright law
in the digital age. As streaming continues to evolve, so too will
the legal frameworks that protect creative content. For now,
Jetflicks stands as a stark reminder that criminal copyright
enforcement is real, and the consequences are severe.

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guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
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