"More than a week before the movie's release, unauthorized copies of the next STAR WARS episode have hit the Internet!

"One bootleg version of ATTACK OF THE CLONES appears to have been made at a private showing of the film, using a tripod-mounted digital camcorder pointed at the screen," the LOS ANGELES TIMES reports in fresh editions. "Another evidently employed a more sophisticated version of the same technique."

The early release of CLONES is just the latest example of how bootlegs of blockbuster movies appear online long before they are available in video stores--in some cases even before they hit the theaters.

SPIDER-MAN appeared on the net a day before its official premiere." [Drudge Report]

I can't believe I'm linking to Drudge, but this was too good to pass up. How on earth will Hollywood justify harming consumer rights when their own ranks are the ones disseminating these files? Maybe the CBDTPA should also outlaw private showings.