The Hanoi People’s Procuracy in Vietnam has issued an indictment against two men accused of running the massive Fmovies piracy network, which was dismantled in 2024. The indictment sheds light on how the men met, how their plans for Fmovies took shape, and how the site generated revenue. While the Motion Picture Association (MPA) initially described the takedown as a “stunning victory,” new details have only deepened the mystery.
Hollywood’s Battle Against Piracy For decades, Hollywood has produced some of the world’s most iconic films, captivating audiences across genres. While movies create worlds where the impossible becomes reality, the MPA demonstrated in 2024 that even seemingly insurmountable challenges—such as dismantling a global piracy network—can be overcome.
The shutdown of Fmovies was hailed as a major win for the entertainment industry, with the MPA calling it “a stunning victory for casts, crews, writers, directors, studios, and the creative community across the globe.” However, despite years of investigative work, the abrupt collapse of one of the largest piracy operations remains clouded in uncertainty.
Arrests, Prosecutions, and Legal Uncertainty Following the shutdown, Vietnamese authorities arrested two men: alleged ringleader Phan Thanh Cong (34) and his assistant Nguyen Tuan Anh (34). Both lived in Capitaland, Mo Lao ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi.
At first glance, the arrests, confessions, and a November 2024 announcement confirming their prosecution appeared to mark a major success for the MPA. Compared to a previous case against the operator of Phimmoi—which dragged on for years before ultimately collapsing—this seemed like real progress.
However, the MPA’s enthusiasm appears restrained. While the takedown itself was significant, the organization has raised concerns about Vietnam’s legal framework and whether the sentences will serve as a real deterrent.
A Punishment to Fit the Crime? In the Fmovies case, the MPA has called for a punishment that reflects “the unprecedented scale of the criminal activity.” The figures are staggering: 6.7 billion visits in a single year, with additional traffic ranging between 70 and 130 million visits per month over three years.
The indictment traces the origins of Fmovies back to 2015.
The Birth of Fmovies: A Plan Hatched in School According to the indictment, Phan Thanh Cong and Nguyen Tuan Anh met at vocational school ApTech in 2015. They allegedly devised a plan to launch a website specializing in foreign films to attract an international audience.
Nguyen Tuan Anh handled content acquisition—primarily movies—stored on Google Drive accounts, while Phan Thanh Cong took care of programming, management, advertising, and finances. Cong reportedly took 90% of the earnings, leaving just 10% for his partner.
The Money Trail: A Single Revenue Stream? The indictment identifies a single revenue source: advertisements shown to users before they could watch movies. The primary advertising partner was an overseas company, MGID Advertising Company.
Investigators estimate that since August 2016, Phan Thanh Cong received approximately US$400,000. While this may seem substantial, it’s surprisingly low for a piracy operation of this magnitude.
Discrepancies in Damage Estimates Despite Fmovies’ vast library, the indictment only accounts for 30 movies, significantly underestimating the potential financial impact.
Authorities estimate the total revenue from Fmovies at approximately US$400,000, with Cong receiving around US$14,300 and Tuan Anh just US$1,600—figures that seem shockingly low given the site’s massive traffic.
Further complicating matters, only 13 of the 30 films were assessed for distribution rights costs in Vietnam. The MPA did not provide additional data, meaning damages may ultimately be calculated based on just 17 films—ignoring thousands of titles that Fmovies hosted over eight years.
A Surprisingly Low-Key Shutdown When Fmovies went offline in mid-2024, authorities revealed that the cause was surprisingly mundane: Cong simply failed to pay the server bill—the first time since 2016.
While seemingly trivial, this detail has broader implications. In a similar case involving illegal IPTV sales prosecuted by the Premier League, the defendant avoided prison by repaying all illicit earnings.
The indictment suggests that both Cong and Tuan Anh have already returned their alleged earnings from Fmovies. If this influences sentencing—as it did in the Premier League case—the MPA’s hopes for a severe punishment may be dashed.
Unanswered Questions and Possible Hidden Agendas In many international cases, legal documents remain inaccessible, making reporting difficult. However, in Vietnam, police-released videos provide glimpses of documents on desks and in officers’ hands.
One such document, visible in a police video last year, contained no reference to Fmovies but mentioned a copyright complaint involving Vietnamese streaming platform Galaxy Play in early 2024. It appears that 17 of the movies cited in the indictment were also allegedly distributed illegally on platforms such as Galaxy Play, Vietnam Satellite Digital Television, and ITB TV LTD, with damages estimated at over VND920 million.
A “Stunning Victory” With Lingering Doubts When the Fmovies takedown was announced, Hollywood declared victory. But as the case unfolds, uncertainties remain. With unanswered questions, conflicting financial figures, and a legal system that may favor leniency, the true impact of this prosecution remains unclear.
