The body that represents the film industry is taking legal action against six websites posing as legitimate film and music download services.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) filed the suits in New York state courts. It accused the services of charging to re-direct people to file-sharing sites where they can access illegal material.
"We won’t tolerate this scam premised on the illegal swapping of valuable movie content," said the MPAA.
The sites charge fees ranging from $20 for a three-month trial to $40 for life. Peer-to-peer networks are usually free to use.
