Village Roadshow takes anti-piracy action

Film distributor Village Roadshow has lodged legal action seeking to block access to a movie streaming site.

Actor Tom Hardy, as Max Rockatansky, in the Village Roadshow Pictures' 'Mad Max' in 2014. Source: AAP

Film distributor Village Roadshow is seeking to use new piracy laws to block access to an illegal streaming service.

The company wants to prevent Australians from accessing to the website SolarMovie, which offers free streams of movies and television.

An application was lodged in the Federal Court in NSW on Thursday afternoon, and the legal action has been backed by Hollywood studios Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal, Sony, Disney and 21st Century Fox.

Legislation allowing rights holders to seek a court injunction to force internet service providers to block access to overseas websites that facilitate piracy passed federal parliament in mid-2015.