An investigation¹ into how an unreleased track by singer Leona Lewis was leaked onto the internet is taking place, it has been confirmed.

有消息证实，歌手Leona Lewis未发行的专辑被非法流传到网上，调查已经展开。

Leona Lewis won The X Factor in 2006

Record industry body the IFPI said its anti-piracy² unit was working with Simon Cowell's Syco record label to "minimise the damage" from the leak.

Don't Let Me Down, a song with US star Justin Timberlake, is expected to be released on Lewis's second album.

There has been speculation³ that the duet could be the album's lead single.

Jeremy Banks, the head of the IFPI's internet piracy unit, said the organisation⁴ was "actively⁵ monitoring and removing illegal copies of this track from the internet to minimise the disruption caused by the leak."

Bringing charges

He added that the body was working with Syco and police forces in Europe and the US to trace the individuals who stole the track.

According to The Sun newspaper, Simon Cowell contacted the authorities after the leak was discovered.

It is believed the song was lifted by computer hackers⁶, rather than being passed on by people involved in the recording⁷ process.

A spokesman for Cowell's record label told the BBC their computers had come under a "sustained attack" and added: "We will certainly look to bring charges against those who are responsible."

Mr Banks said such pre-release leaks could be "highly damaging" to a company who has spent considerable money on marketing⁸ and promoting records to a pre-determined schedule.

Lewis's second album is scheduled to come out in November.

Her first record, Spirit, became the fastest-selling debut⁹ in the UK charts in 2007, and was the number one album of that year.