A new anti-piracy campaign in the UK is shifting emphasisaway from crime and financial losses towards promoting a positive image ofcinema going.

A new trailer, drawn up by major exhibitors anddistributors, contrasts the big-screen "cinema experience" with a scratchypirated DVD.

"There has been a strategic shift because research showsthat the industry's messages about how much piracy is costing them doesn't seemcredible to consumers," says Mark Batey, chief executive of the UK FilmDistributors' Association.

"A lot of money has been spent on trying to find out whichbuttons to push with cinemagoers and the quality of the experience was a bigissue."

The first of the new trailers - featuring Fantastic Four - will go out on July 1 to befollowed by four more over the coming months.

Steve Knibbs, COO, of Vue Cinemas said: "The initiative willmake our guests think about why anyone would want towatch such an inferior offer in the first place. The best place to see a filmremains the cinema."

The Industry Trust for IPAwareness estimates the value of the black market DVD trade in the UK was worth£600m in 2004 and should exceed £1bn within three years.