MPA Hires Former FBI Agent and Cyber Task Force Leader as VP of Content Protection Enforcement, Americas Region

Bryan Willett's Appointment Reflects Expansion of MPA's Global Content Protection Footprint

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has hired Bryan Willett, a supervisory special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as Vice President, Content Protection Enforcement for the Americas region.

Willett's hire is the latest in the continued expansion of the MPA's content protection efforts, including its global antipiracy program, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). This summer, the MPA hired Larissa Knapp as Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer; Marissa Bostick as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Litigation, and Jesse Martin as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Content Protection and Legal Affairs (Intermediary Programs).

In his new role, Willett will be responsible for developing and executing ACE's internet enforcement strategy and landscape in the Americas, conducting online forensic analysis, and identifying trends, including technological developments and user behaviors on piracy issues. Leading a team of investigators and analysts, Willett will manage and coordinate complex internet investigations in conjunction with the studio content protection teams.

His first day is Oct. 21. He reports to Knapp and is based in Los Angeles. 

"I'm thrilled to welcome a fellow former FBI agent to our team of legal, investigations and enforcement professionals dedicated to protecting the creative marketplace," said Knapp. "Bryan brings decades of experience in cybersecurity and collaborating with U.S. and foreign law enforcement, intelligence agencies and private-sector liaison partners in investigating and executing domestic and international operations. I have every confidence that his skills will enhance our antipiracy efforts across the Americas."

Willett joins the MPA after 20 years with the FBI, most recently as Supervisory Special Agent and Cyber Task Force Leader. In this role, he managed a team of cyber professionals, and previously, oversaw the development of the Los Angeles Cyber program strategy, which included multiple investigative teams and the alignment of cyber personnel dedicated to addressing tactical threats including the theft of intellectual property, data extortion, ransomware, fraud, and hacktivism.  Earlier in his FBI career, he directed domestic and international investigations including data exfiltration, data extortion, copyright infringement, theft of trade secrets, cyber fraud and more, resulting in convictions, jail sentences, and victim restitution.

"Digital piracy is a global crime committed by people with no regard for copyright laws or the creative economy it harms. It also puts unwitting consumers at risk for malware infections which can lead to financial loss and privacy breaches," Willett said. "I am excited to join the MPA and ACE in the fight to protect intellectual property rights and reduce piracy in Canada, the U.S. and Latin America." 

Willett holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Wyoming. 

About The Motion Picture Association

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members' content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.

About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world's leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association's content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.