RAMPANT movie piracy is costing the Australian film industry more than $233 million a year and affects at least 50,000 workers.

Many people who download films from illegal file-sharing websites believe the practice is a victimless crime.

Marley and Me starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson one of the films copied by movie pirates.

But the operations director for the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, Neil Gane, said that was not the case. "There are more than 50,000 Australians, directly or indirectly, working in the film and television industry," he said. "They are the people losing their jobs due to movie piracy. It's the people who own the local DVD shop who are having to lay off staff."

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance's director, Simon Whipp, who represents performers, said movie piracy ripped off some of the lowest-paid workers.