MUMBAI: Spider-Man 3 will have its world premiere in Japan three days before it hits the big screen in the United States on 4 May 2007, according to Sheeraz Hasan founder of www.Hollywood.tv.

The decision for the 1 May 2007 release in Japan was made in order to put a crimp in the plans of anyone who’s thinking of pirating the movie, say reports.

Reports put the total loss to the audio visual industry through copyright theft, including file sharing, home burning and borrowing other people’s fake DVDs at over £818 million. Of this amount, £450 million is the value of lost DVD sales, £277 million is lost box office takings and £74 million is the loss to the rental sector.

21 US states, including Florida, have passed laws making video recording of movies in theaters illegal in the last one year. In January 2007, Twentieth Century Fox determined that up to 50 per cent of pirated movies come from Canada, particularly Montreal. The early release of the third in the Spiderman series in Japan should curtail some of these anticipated losses, feel the makers.