Bootleg empire strikes Star Wars movie

More than a million people are expected to have seen bootleg internet copies of Star Wars Episode II a week before the movie's release.

One version appears to have been made at a private showing of the film, using a sophisticated digital camcorder pointed at the screen.

Experts predict up to a million people will now see Attack Of The Clones before it opens worldwide on May 16.

Media consultant Bruce Forest told the LA Times: "A million people will have seen Star Wars before it's opened. That's never happened before."

Industry observers do not expect the bootlegs to cut into box-office receipts, however, since fans will want to watch the film in a cinema environment.

But LA entertainment attorney Nancy Newhouse Porter says it will be damaging to the home video business.

"Where it's a complete disaster is in the home video business. Now they can make copies and ship digital files to places like China, where we have a really hard time enforcing our copyright laws."

A Spider-Man bootleg also appeared on the internet a day before its official premiere.