Download site shut down after Star Wars upset

An internet site that let film fans illegally download the new Star Wars movie before it reached cinemas has been shut after raids in the US.

The Elite Torrents site allowed 133,000 members to download thousands of films and software programs. Apparently fans used it to download Revenge of the Sith 10,000 times before it was released. It was shut after raids by federal agents in 10 cities across the country.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) estimates that movie piracy cost the film industry $3.5bn (€5bn) last year. A spokesperson for the association said the crackdown was "bad news for internet thieves and good news for preserving the magic of the movies".