Attempts to close down illegal file-sharing sites may simply spread the problem more widely.

The number of new file-sharing sites hosting unauthorised, copyrighted content rose 300 per cent over the past three months after the popular Pirate Bay site was prosecuted in Sweden, according to research by McAfee, the internet security group.

Pirate Bay, a site that hosts internet links to copyrighted music, movies and TV shows, was the subject of a high-profile court battle and in August the Swedish authorities ordered it to be shut down.

Users began creating sites to support the Pirate Bay illegal filesharing community when the site was being closed. Pirate Bay itself aided the spread of its database of more than two million links by making its code open for anyone to use.

Times Online has the full story.