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Million Dollar Baby, Sideways, Ray -- these are a few of the Oscar-nominated films that have found their way to the Internet, by way of Academy members and others who are given preview copies known as "screeners."

A year ago, the Motion Picture Association of America and Hollywood studios attempted to clamp down, but the problem is worse this year, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times. There are more Oscar-nominated films for download on the Internet, and the quality is better, since screeners are DVD, not VHS videotapes like last year.

Authorities last year took advantage of "watermarks" which help identify the original source of a pirated film to catch an academy member who lent screeners to an acquaintance. The academy member was expelled and ordered to pay two studios in $600,000. The other man is to be sentenced on federal copyright infringement charges later this month.

LA Times reporter Jon Healey says the movie industry was trying to make a point.

"They felt this would send a message to members of the Academy," Healey said.

But it's not working.