A 124-minute version of the film was posted on the popular website over the weekend and received hundreds of views before distributor Weinstein Co. quickly responded to protect its copyright.

The film is scheduled to open in New York and Washington this week before its wide theatrical release across the country in June 29.

The latest film by Moore, whose 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/ 11" attacking the Bush administration and its Iraq war policy became the highest-grossing documentary of all time with about 200 million dollars worldwide, focuses on the struggling U.S. health insurance system and holds up socialized medicine as an attainable option.

Weinstein spokeswoman Sarah Rothman said in a statement over the weekend that the company was "responding aggressively to protect our film."

But she also said that it was clear that people interested in the (healthcare) movement are excited to go to the theater so they can be part of the experience and fight to reform healthcare.

Dan Glickman, chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America, called it unfortunate that movies get out on the Internet before their release and said such practices are harmful to the movie industry.

The U.S. Congress has worked hard to pass an initiative to make movie piracy a criminal offense, the head of the Hollywood trade group told the Los Angeles Times over the weekend.

It is ironic that Moore has been vocal in his support of downloading pirated movies as long as pirates don't profit. His " Fahrenheit 9/11" film was also widely pirated on the Internet around its opening three years ago.