The film, which is critical of President George Bush and his administration, won the Palme d'Or award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

"I don't agree with the copyright laws and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labour. I would oppose that," Moore told the Scottish Sunday Herald. "I do well enough already and I made this film because I want the world to change. The more people who see it the better, so I'm happy this is happening."

Although the movie is being shared by many Moore fans, even his detractors have posted the film for free download on sites including www.moorewatch.com. After initial hesitation, the film's distributor, Lions Gate, is appearing to leave the file-swapping activity alone.

"Is it wrong for someone who's bought a film on DVD to let a friend watch it for free? Of course it's not," Moore said. "I think information, art and ideas should be shared."

According to internet measurement firm Hitwise, in the UK visits to Michael Moore's official website (www.michaelmoore.com) have increased by 148 per cent since 12 June.

The official film website (www.fahrenheit911.com) also saw an increase in visits of 343 per cent in the two weeks leading up to the film's release in the US on 25 June.

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