A Hollywood-based film group has sued a popular Chinese website over movie piracy and demanded seven million yuan (US$1 million) compensation, China Business News reported today.

The Motion Picture Association accused Xunlei Networking Technology Co on Friday of allowing users of its file-sharing service to download hundreds of movies from other websites despite repeated warnings, the report said.

It also demanded Xunlei make a public admittance of its illegal piracy act, the report added.

The association accused Xunlei of allowing users of its peer-to-peer, or P2P, service download copies of movies including "Spider-Man 3," "War of the Worlds" and "Miami Vice." It accused Xunlei of continuing to allow violations after the group's lawyers sent 78 warnings, the report said.

Shenzhen-based Xunlei claims to be the biggest download platform provider in the world and covers about 100 million Internet users, the report said.

Google Co said last year that it had invested in Xunlei, the report said.

Xunlei and Google have not commented on the lawsuit, the report said.

The association said it has filed a series of lawsuits against Chinese vendors of illegally copied DVDs. The group says it has been awarded two million yuan since 2006.

The Motion Picture Association is the international arm of the Los Angeles-based Motion Picture Association of America. Its members are Walt Disney Co's Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Paramount Pictures Corp, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp, Universal City Studios LLLP and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

(Shanghai Daily February 18, 2008)