25 October 2007

British police have shut down what they is claimed to be one of the world's largest music piracy websites after a two-year pan-European operation. Several raids in Middlesbrough and Amsterdam resulted in the arrest of a 24-year-old man and the closure of Oink, a private website that allowed users to locate and download music and other files.

The closure has been welcomed by the music industry, which allowed leaked copies of pre-release records, meaning that Oink users were able to access hundreds of albums before they reached the shops. The invitation-only website was well known among Internet file sharers as one of the most popular and exclusive sources of free downloads.

Following raids on a flat and offices on Teesside, Cleveland police confirmed they had arrested the site's administrator on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and infringement of copyright law. No payment was required, but police said members paid donations via debit or credit cards to ensure continued access. A force spokesman said the scheme was "extremely lucrative".

The raids took place after an investigation overseen by Interpol. Police also explained that last week they had seized servers belonging to Oink and based in the Netherlands, although the website remained in operation as late as Monday.

Oink was central to the illegal distribution of pre-release music online, This was not a case of friends sharing music for pleasure. This was a worldwide network that got hold of music they did not own the rights to and posted it online.

said Jeremy Banks, head of anti-piracy at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Filesharing services which allow to swap copyright-protected content have been the bain of the music industry ever since the rise of Napster in 2000. Although Napster was closed down, and subsequent court cases have shut or hampered the growth of services including Grokster and Kazaa, filesharing remains popular among many music fans. Oink is just one of hundreds of private tracker websites available online.

Although it does not host any illegal material itself, it has been described by downloader’s as one of the most exclusive online destinations for getting hold of new music illegally.


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