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The Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) has announced that seven major studios have filed more than 200 suits, requesting the courts to order ISPs to reveal the names of the alleged sharers, currently identified only by their IP addresses.

Unlike its record industry equivalent, which led the way in prosecuting file sharers, the MPAA is not merely pursuing the high-quantity sharers. Individuals who have shared a single file have been targeted, especially those who have made a film available before its cinema release date.

MPAA president Dan Glickman said in a speech to the National Press Club that 'harnessing the new forces in our economy could bring about a new "Golden Age" for Hollywood', but warned that 'these same forces threaten to unleash a wave of intellectual piracy that will undermine the very foundations of movie making.' He added that the MPAA would rather 'produce courtroom dramas than star in them'.

The MPAA claims that it is losing $3.5bn each year to piracy and Glickman asserted that 'legal action is necessary to protect the future of movie making'.