'Desperate Housewives' Clip Leaked

A "Desperate Housewives" bedroom scene involving the ABC series' character Bree and a boyfriend was pulled from the YouTube Web site after network owner Walt Disney Co. complained.

"This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner Disney because its content was used without permission," was the message that greeted YouTube visitors who tried to call up the clip after Disney's protest.

The scene is a rough cut from an upcoming episode of the hit series, Daily Variety reported Friday. Network and studio executives, who were not identified, told the trade paper the clip was not leaked to foster publicity for the show's upcoming third season, starting this month.

In the scene, Bree (series star Marcia Cross), seen in bed with new lover Orson (Kyle MacLachlan), resists his offer to perform a sexual act, saying, "I'm a Republican," then gives in.

Although networks increasingly rely on the Internet for promotion of their series, the possibility of pirated clips making their way online could threaten shows trying to keep plot twists a secret.

A call to ABC Friday for comment and to find out if the scene will be airing as shown online was not immediately returned.

YouTube, by some measures, is the leading video-sharing site on the Internet. YouTube says 60,000 new videos are posted daily by amateurs and professionals.