The popular file sharing network, OiNK was shut down by British police and a 24-year-old man from Middlesbrough, England was arrested. The BBC reports that servers have been confiscated in a series of raids in Amsterdam. The raids followed a two-year investigation by British music industry bodies. Better back your shit up to discs and clear your machines…
OiNK’s newly replaced homepage states, “A criminal investigation continues into the identities and activities of the site’s users.”
Fuck. I mean, um, what’s Oink?
I’ve never heard of that, either. I’ve been wondering just how all these albums leak so early – I mean, are there people sneaking into studios and grabbing works-in-progress, or what?
“I’ve been wondering just how all these albums leak so early – I mean, are there people sneaking into studios and grabbing works-in-progress, or what?”
Me thinks a lot of it comes from early copies sent to the press. I remember there was that debacle last summer when someone hacked into Pitchfork’s serves, found a whole assload of pre-release albums, and leaked them. Decemberists’ “Crane Wife” and Joanna Newsom’s “Ys” were among those, if I remember correctly.
Tom, you do remember correctly, minus the “hacking” part. They were available on an unprotected “secret” directory. Security through obscurity is tough to pull off on the internet.
Rarely do leaks happen before promos get sent out.
Figures… but how does it benefit anyone to steal the albums and then put them on a server? I mean, it’s great if you’re a fan and get your hands on an early release and share it with your friends, but it seems like there is a oordinated effort to get every album out there. How does is the risk of posting music you don’t even care about at all rewarding? Pride?
Well, I’m guessing there’s a pride aspect for nerds who get there first. Whatever.
But keep in mind that the way bit torrent works is that as you download, you’re downloading little bits from everybody who has downloaded it, and as soon as you’ve downloaded a little bit, you immediately start uploading it to somebody else.
So this stuff is being served by people who downloaded it. Who says they don’t even care about the muisc?
I’m sure somebody cares about each item, but I’m shocked that the people who have access to the pre-releases (and would want to post them) would care about all of it.
Of course, I’m one to talk. Anyone who looked at my collection would think I was a crazy obsessive.
Either way, it’s amazing to me how reliable the stream of leaks are across the board.
and speaking of dowloading, are you aware of http://www.nyctaper.com/? These guys get access to tape and upload all sorts of live shows from the nyc are. They just posted the Springsteen at MSG show, the Morrissey show from last night, the Meat Puppets, Regina Spektor, Radiohead, WHite Stripes, etc.
Oink founder Alan Ellis, 24, talks to the Daily Telegraph:
“I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t believe my website breaks the law. They don’t understand how it works.
“The website is very different from how the police are making it out to be. There is no music sold on the site – I am doing nothing wrong.
“When I set up the site I didn’t think I was doing anything illegal and I still don’t. There are 180,000 users and there has been an outcry about what has happened to me.
“People who download music also buy CDs as well. A lot of people download music on the internet to get a taste of it and then later buy the CD.
“But I don’t sell music to people, I just direct them to it. If somebody wants to illegally download music they are going to do it whether my site is there or not.
“If this goes to court it is going to set a huge precedent. It will change the internet as we know it.
“As far as I am aware no-one in Britain has ever been taken to court for running a website like mine. My site is no different to something like Google.
“If Google directed someone to a site they can illegally download music they are doing the same as what I have been accused of. I am not making any Oink users break the law. People don’t pay to use the site.”
Hmmm. Not sure if that argument is going to fly. Although I have no idea what British law says…
Disguisting pigging thief.