Vietnamese authorities have revealed that two men accused of operating FMovies, once the world’s most visited pirate streaming network, have confessed to their roles in the illegal operation. Phan Thanh Cong, 34, identified as the mastermind behind FMovies, and his accomplice, Nguyen Tuan Anh, face prosecution after an eight-year operation that reportedly earned them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Fall of FMovies: A Streaming Giant’s Collapse
FMovies, a dominant player in the piracy ecosystem, began to show signs of trouble in mid-2024. New updates ceased in June, and by mid-July, the site vanished entirely without explanation. Speculation turned to confirmation in late August when the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and anti-piracy group Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) announced their involvement in dismantling the operation.
Working in collaboration with Hanoi Police, the groups targeted FMovies and its network of related sites, including AniWave, Bflixz, Flixtorz, Movies7, and Myflixer. Together, these sites drew over 6.7 billion visits between January 2023 and June 2024.
Charles Rivkin, CEO of the MPA and Chairman of ACE, hailed the shutdown as “a stunning victory” for the global creative community.
Vietnamese Authorities Provide New Details
While the MPA and ACE initially praised Vietnam’s cooperation, the local authorities remained silent for months. Now, Hanoi City Police have confirmed the arrests of two individuals connected to FMovies and shared details about the investigation.
The Economic Police Department, working with other branches of Hanoi Police, identified and apprehended the suspects after gathering evidence to confirm their roles in the piracy operation.
Key Suspects
- Phan Thanh Cong
- Age: 34
- Residence: Mo Lao ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi
- Role: Described as the “mastermind” and primary operator of FMovies, responsible for creating and managing a network that offered nearly 50,000 pirated films.
- Background: Authorities noted that Cong had previously faced administrative discipline for similar behaviour.
- Nguyen Tuan Anh
- Age: 34
- Residence: Mo Lao ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi
- Role: Allegedly responsible for copying and uploading around 50,000 movies to FMovies and its sister sites.
A Multi-Million Dollar Piracy Operation
According to police, FMovies operated from 2016 until its closure in 2024, generating “hundreds of thousands of US dollars” in illicit revenue. Both suspects have reportedly confessed to all charges, leading to the decision to prosecute under Clause 2, Section 225 of Vietnam’s Penal Code 2015, which addresses copyright infringement on a commercial scale.
Legal Ramifications and Penalties
Section 225 outlines severe penalties for large-scale piracy. Key factors include illegal profits exceeding VND 50,000,000 (around $2,000) or damages to rightsholders exceeding VND 100,000,000 (approximately $4,000). Penalties can range from fines as low as VND 50,000,000 to as high as VND 1,000,000,000 (nearly $395,000), and prison sentences of six months to three years.
Given the substantial profits reportedly earned by FMovies, harsher penalties seem likely, but the final outcome remains uncertain.
A Significant Step in International Cooperation
The investigation has highlighted Vietnam’s growing role in tackling intellectual property crime. In a video released by local police, a letter from U.S. authorities expressed gratitude for Vietnam’s cooperation, signalling the importance of the case to Hollywood studios.
The collaboration between the MPA, ACE, and Vietnamese law enforcement underscores the global effort to combat piracy. With FMovies now dismantled and its operators facing prosecution, the operation marks a significant victory for anti-piracy advocates and a warning to other illegal platforms.
What happens next in court will determine the final chapter of FMovies, but for now, the once-thriving piracy empire has been thoroughly dismantled.