Hollywood studios must accelerate electronic distribution of their film content if they are to halt the rapid growth of digital piracy, which is projected to increase three-fold by 2015, Bain & Company has warned.

Digital film piracy currently costs Hollywood $2.3bn a year in lost revenues, equivalent to about 3 per cent of total inter-national film industry revenues, according to Bain. However, the consultancy firm estimates digital piracy will represent at least 10 per cent of international film revenues by 2015, equivalent to almost $8bn a year if industry returns stay at existing levels.