According to online reports, Michael Moore’s new documentary Sicko has been leaked and is available for download on several peer-to-peer file-sharing Web sites–two weeks before its June 29 release.
In Sicko, Moore–who won an Academy Award for his 2003 documentary Bowling for Columbine–takes the U.S. healthcare system to task. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month to a standing ovation and rave reviews.
Although Moore has yet to comment on the leak, the controversial filmmaker has taken a lenient attitude towards online file-sharing in the past. In 2004, Moore stated in an interview he did not have a problem with people illegally downloading his film Fahrenheit 9/11.
“I don’t agree with the copyright laws and I don’t have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people,” Moore said. “As long they’re not doing it to make a profit off it, as long as they’re not trying to make a profit off my labor. I would oppose that… I make these books and movies and TV shows because I want things to change and so the more people that get to see them the better. I’m happy when that happens.”
This is the second pre-release leak in less than a month for a film distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment. A studio-quality workprint version of Eli Roth’s horror flick Hostel: Part II was spotted on peer-to-peer networks May 29–ten days before its June 8 release date.
