Madonna declared war on bootleggers last night after they released her brand-new single over the Web – a full four months before it’s due in stores.
The Material Girl had her record company dash off a poison-pen letter threatening legal action against any Internet sites that allow the tune, “Music,” to be downloaded.
She charged that somebody had stolen the song, which is still in production.
Fans of the pop goddess couldn’t believe their eyes when they tuned into several music sites yesterday morning and found the title song of her new album up for grabs.
Large portions of the track could be found using Napster’s file-swapping software, which allows the public to download music for free.
MTV’s popular online site even offered a chunk of the song to Web surfers.
“The music was stolen and was not intended for release for several months. It is still a work in progress,” said Madonna’s fuming manager, Caresse Norman.
“Ultimately, those sites that offered a download of Madonna’s music are violating her rights as an artist.”
Warner Bros. Records, which distributes her recordings, called the early release “an extremely serious matter.”
“Any site that posts or makes available our copyrighted material without our consent runs the risk of civil and criminal prosecution,” the company said.
Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said the superstar was surprised by the breach of security.
“Her work was stolen. I don’t think any artist likes it when that happens,” Rosenberg said.
Music insiders say Madonna was particularly stung by MTV’s decision to let its online visitors listen to part of the song.
“It’s a tremendous breach of respect, considering all that she has done for MTV. It’s really quite shameful,” one source told The Post.
Madonna’s new album is set for official release in late September or early October.