Movie industry counts cost of online piracy

With the click of the mouse, online film piracy has surpassed illegal DVD copying worldwide, it was revealed at a conference in Beijing yesterday.

The Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) said its members lost $6.1 billion worldwide in 2005 because of piracy including $2.4 billion from illegal retail sales, $1.4 billion from illegal duplication and $2.3 billion from online pirating, Eugene Yu, general manager of MPAA China said.

"Online film piracy dissemination exploded after broadband services became available," Yu said.