Police release suspect in illegal music download investigation
 |
| Police arrest an IT worker in Middlesbrough following morning raids |
A man arrested as part of an inquiry into one of the world's largest music sharing web-sites has been released on police bail.
The 24-year-old IT worker was arrested at his flat in Middlesbrough during a dawn raid by Interpol and Cleveland Police yesterday (TUES).
Cleveland Police revealed this morning that the man has been released on bail pending forensic examination of seized computer equipment and further inquiries.
The Force also revealed the home of the man's parents in Cheadle have also been raided by Greater Manchester Police and computer equipment and documentation recovered.
Meanwhile, thousands of music lovers
are now waiting to learn if police will go after them.
Detectives believe about
180,000 people were members of
the invitation-only music sharing
forum at www.oink.cd
the 24-year old was arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy to defraud
and infringement of copyright
law.
At the same time, Dutch police
raided an office in Amsterdam,
where they seized the site's
servers and database details.
Forensic computer experts will
now examine the servers, looking
for information about users and
the music they uploaded.
OiNK, which used a cartoon of
a pink pig as its logo, was one of
the world's biggest "peer-to-peer"
music download sites, which
have been targeted by music publishers
and police because they
allow users to swap music for
free.
According to users, OiNK had
a data throughput of two
terabytes every day - the equivalent
of five million songs.
Having been invited to join, following
registration members
could download five gigabytes of
music - approximately 1,000
songs.
They did not have to pay a fee,
but could make donations to
keep the operation running.
The site had a huge database of
music. It even operated a request
system and was also working on
an internet radio station.
Fans could also buy a range of
branded merchandise bearing
the pink pig logo and the catchline:
"Music so good it could
make your tail curl".
OiNK became so big that music
companies were appalled to find
albums were being made available
to members before they
went on general release.
The International Federation
of the Phonographic Industry
said more than 60 major album
releases had been leaked so far
this year.
Police declined to reveal details
of the man they had arrested.
However, the domain name
www.oink.me.uk, used by oink
until it recently switched to
www.oink.cd, is registered to a
UK citizen called Alan Ellis.
Police said the 24-year-old man
arrested yesterday worked for a
multi-national company based
on Teesside.
His father's home and that of
his employer were also raided.
Yesterday's operation, carried out
by Cleveland Police and Interpol,
sent shockwaves through computer
users worldwide.
The database had details of
member downloads and the complex
invitation system. But police
may not need access to the
database to track down users.
The raids were the culmination
of a long-running investigation
by police and the music industry.
Working with co-operative internet
service providers, undercover
officers who infiltrated the
membership would have had
plenty of time to harvest the details
they needed for individual
prosecutions.
But with 180,000 members
across the world, police may decide
the logistics of launching
such an operation are too daunting.
A Cleveland Police spokeswoman
said: "It's too early to tell
if we will go after individuals. It
all depends on what we find. If
the punters run into their thousands,
interviewing them all will
be clearly beyond our capacity.''
OiNK users expressed shock
and concern last night.
One said: "I'm a little bit worried
about them coming after the
individual users."
Another added: "I'm terrified."
But many remained defiant, one saying: "I don't think it is
quite the end. They backed up
the site every day, and the admins
knew full well it was a
matter of not if they got raided,
it was a matter of when."
Detective Sergeant Tony
Keogh, of Cleveland Police,
said: "The site specialised in
sharing music and media
including pre-release material.
"We have been working closely
with Interpol and our Dutch colleagues
in Amsterdam where the
website server is based, to ensure
that it too was secured at the
time of arrest.''
Jeremy Banks, head of The
International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry Internet
Anti-Piracy unit, said: "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."
Oink used software technology
called BitTorrent to distribute
music.
Chief Superintendent Mark
Braithwaite, head of crime for
Cleveland Police, said: "While
some might view this type of act
as a victimless crime, there is no
such thing - as the cost of an enterprise
such as this will be
added to the cost of any legitimate
purchases further down the
line."
11:48am Wednesday 24th October 2007
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: vBZZZ, Hell on 11:30am Tue 23 Oct 07
You cant...stop..nehehe
Posted by: sifu_thom on 11:53am Tue 23 Oct 07
Thank goodness the police force is investing so much time, money and effort into catching these hardened criminals, who are causing so much distress to poor music industry magnates instead of wasting time solving burglaries and other such trivial crimes.
Thank goodness the police force is investing so much time, money and effort into catching these hardened criminals, who are causing so much distress to poor music industry magnates instead of wasting time solving burglaries and other such trivial crimes.
Posted by: markymark, darlington on 12:19pm Tue 23 Oct 07
at the end of the day nobody is going to go "wow they done a good job there !" i bet if you go around your offices you will find about 60% of your staff use them wibsites and programmes. does that mean your employing criminals ?
at the end of the day nobody is going to go "wow they done a good job there !" i bet if you go around your offices you will find about 60% of your staff use them wibsites and programmes. does that mean your employing criminals ?
Posted by: iamnoskcaj on 12:29pm Tue 23 Oct 07
I think this is a POOR representation of the facts.
[bold]It was NOT a pay-for-download site.[/bold]
I think this is a POOR representation of the facts.
It was NOT a pay-for-download site. Posted by: iamnoskcaj on 12:33pm Tue 23 Oct 07
I think this is a POOR representation of the facts.
[bold]It was NOT a pay-for-download site.[/bold]
I think this is a POOR representation of the facts.
It was NOT a pay-for-download site. Posted by: snowzef, Netherlands on 1:17pm Tue 23 Oct 07
People didn't have to pay to use the site.
There was the availability to donate money for server costs etc.
This guy wasn't making money on this otherwise he wouldn't still be working and living in a flat.
All that's required to be a member to upload as much as you download from the site.
@sifu_thom exactly my thoughts!
People didn't have to pay to use the site.
There was the availability to donate money for server costs etc.
This guy wasn't making money on this otherwise he wouldn't still be working and living in a flat.
All that's required to be a member to upload as much as you download from the site.
@sifu_thom exactly my thoughts!
Posted by: Reygan, Salford on 1:45pm Tue 23 Oct 07
I was a regular user of the site. I wasn't interested in new releases so never accessed the pre-release material. The news articles give the impression that it was this pre-release issue that has resulted in the investigation. I wonder if that is true?
I'll miss the site but it won't persuade me to pay extortionate prices for music in the UK.
I was a regular user of the site. I wasn't interested in new releases so never accessed the pre-release material. The news articles give the impression that it was this pre-release issue that has resulted in the investigation. I wonder if that is true?
I'll miss the site but it won't persuade me to pay extortionate prices for music in the UK.
Posted by: doh!, Canada on 1:58pm Tue 23 Oct 07
Uhh ya...wow...you guys sure didn't win that newsquest award for website of the year based on the accuracy of information did you..
Uhh ya...wow...you guys sure didn't win that newsquest award for website of the year based on the accuracy of information did you..
Posted by: risch on 2:00pm Tue 23 Oct 07
Absolutely terrible news :( ooh booo hoo the records companies..... what about the artists views? there were signed artists themselves uploading torrents and copies of their own material and more. tradgedy. it just makes me even more determined to never pay for music again, unless its direct from a truly independant label, who deserve it. i have no respect left for big labels.
Absolutely terrible news :( ooh booo hoo the records companies..... what about the artists views? there were signed artists themselves uploading torrents and copies of their own material and more. tradgedy. it just makes me even more determined to never pay for music again, unless its direct from a truly independant label, who deserve it. i have no respect left for big labels.
Posted by: taylorhewitt, Canada on 2:31pm Tue 23 Oct 07
This is honestly the worst news I've heard in ages. Oink was the best place in the world for getting music. My heart is broken. Honestly... ='(
This is honestly the worst news I've heard in ages. Oink was the best place in the world for getting music. My heart is broken. Honestly... ='(
Posted by: mowglee, uk on 2:38pm Tue 23 Oct 07
agree with all comments so far.
the lies in the article and all others posted online so far are astounding. its actually embarrassing how clueless they are.
shame all the so called journalists have took the BS that the IFPI and BPI have fed them.
agree with all comments so far.
the lies in the article and all others posted online so far are astounding. its actually embarrassing how clueless they are.
shame all the so called journalists have took the BS that the IFPI and BPI have fed them.
Posted by: purdz, UK on 3:18pm Tue 23 Oct 07
shame bout oink not really a mega bust bet most of the people who used the site will just find another way to get music like this.. and doubt most of them would ever really buy some of the music they downloaded anyways so not really gonna see a massive profit increase for the record companies..
dont let the record companies fool you.. they have lost a fair bit from decreasing cd sales but they are making a hell of a lot now from legal downloads.. ive seen facts that say their overall profits are down by around 1-2% in total.. thats nothing compared to what they will eventually make once they get their subscription services ready or if the trend for legal downloads continues to rise..
shame bout oink not really a mega bust bet most of the people who used the site will just find another way to get music like this.. and doubt most of them would ever really buy some of the music they downloaded anyways so not really gonna see a massive profit increase for the record companies..
dont let the record companies fool you.. they have lost a fair bit from decreasing cd sales but they are making a hell of a lot now from legal downloads.. ive seen facts that say their overall profits are down by around 1-2% in total.. thats nothing compared to what they will eventually make once they get their subscription services ready or if the trend for legal downloads continues to rise..
Posted by: asdfasdf on 5:29pm Tue 23 Oct 07
If you think this is going to make us buy more music you're dead wrong.
I already boycott the RIAA, and I would most certainly encourage others to do the same. Mostly because I dont find it acceptable to sue 14 year old girls for huge sums of money. Maybe I should add BPI to the list too.
Oink allowed me to find and explore artists, many of whom I ended up supporting. Ive actually bought a few cds very recently very recently as a DIRECT result of using this site. Now I feel much more inclined to not buy any albums for a few months in protest
These groups need to understand that **** off their consumers is NOT in their best interest.
If you think this is going to make us buy more music you're dead wrong.
I already boycott the RIAA, and I would most certainly encourage others to do the same. Mostly because I dont find it acceptable to sue 14 year old girls for huge sums of money. Maybe I should add BPI to the list too.
Oink allowed me to find and explore artists, many of whom I ended up supporting. Ive actually bought a few cds very recently very recently as a DIRECT result of using this site. Now I feel much more inclined to not buy any albums for a few months in protest
These groups need to understand that **** off their consumers is NOT in their best interest.
Posted by: faurk, US on 7:19pm Tue 23 Oct 07
Maybe if you had some more accounts of real users this report might be better. Oink was completely free; all you needed was an invite from someone already in the site. Charging for invites was strictly prohibited on the site.
Maybe if you had some more accounts of real users this report might be better. Oink was completely free; all you needed was an invite from someone already in the site. Charging for invites was strictly prohibited on the site.
Posted by: theriaaisajoke, anon on 9:59pm Tue 23 Oct 07
no matter what they do.
"illegal" downloading is never going to stop.
and as for record companies, **** OFF YOUR CONSUMERS IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO DO :D
no matter what they do.
"illegal" downloading is never going to stop.
and as for record companies, **** OFF YOUR CONSUMERS IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO DO :D
Posted by: gromit, Stockport on 11:55pm Tue 23 Oct 07
my mum and dad are living close by and they are not as dimwitted as you concerning technology
you have a local lad caught in an international conspiracy ring and you are as simple as let it be
sorry but you are the weakest link, good bye
my mum and dad are living close by and they are not as dimwitted as you concerning technology
you have a local lad caught in an international conspiracy ring and you are as simple as let it be
sorry but you are the weakest link, good bye
Posted by: doh!, Canada on 12:42am Wed 24 Oct 07
My props go out to the editor of this story, as when it was quickly reported their were errors in the information being relayed to him by the police, the editor was also quick to ammend those errors :)
My props go out to the editor of this story, as when it was quickly reported their were errors in the information being relayed to him by the police, the editor was also quick to ammend those errors :)
Posted by: kd, consett on 8:40am Wed 24 Oct 07
The response to this indicates just how far the Police are out of touch with reality.
Remind me; was it Hitler who burnt books in the street or was it the Nazis just doing their job?
The response to this indicates just how far the Police are out of touch with reality.
Remind me; was it Hitler who burnt books in the street or was it the Nazis just doing their job?
Posted by: ajdavison, DARLINGTON, COUNTY DURHAM dl1 2hl on 9:22pm Wed 24 Oct 07
good to see we have standards in this country-it worker arrested for copyright offences but the police kill an innocent brasilian guy and get off without any charge.
good to see we have standards in this country-it worker arrested for copyright offences but the police kill an innocent brasilian guy and get off without any charge.
Posted by: Jack, canada on 6:58am Thu 25 Oct 07
Wow finally they were caught,Oink was getting away with a great deal of fraud against the music industry. [bold]Great job coppers Throw the book @ the thieves.I mean we have to pay for our music so those scum bags should have to as well[/bold]
Wow finally they were caught,Oink was getting away with a great deal of fraud against the music industry.
Great job coppers Throw the book @ the thieves.I mean we have to pay for our music so those scum bags should have to as well Posted by: khonsu718, uk on 1:35pm Thu 25 Oct 07
oh well, I guess it's back to piratebay...
oh well, I guess it's back to piratebay...
Posted by: keeper, Worldwide on 4:56pm Thu 25 Oct 07
The dogs are fighting with the windmills, they just don't know that... I just hope all of you people enjoyed my exact 100% intact plextor ripped uploads ... sHaRe ! It's the Gods will!
The dogs are fighting with the windmills, they just don't know that... I just hope all of you people enjoyed my exact 100% intact plextor ripped uploads ... sHaRe ! It's the Gods will!
Posted by: various, world on 5:27am Fri 26 Oct 07
i am sick of people laughing off illegal downloads like it's not important or a "real" crime. The fact of the matter is no matter how many people do it it is still illegal. Yes so most of the money goes to the record company but a lot of artists now release albums independently and guess what! The money doesn't go to a record label. Plus what people forget is if people continue to download illegally, yes they are ripping of the artist and the label...when the label is losing money..that can lead to them signing less artists or eventually not being able to afford to release an album...then where are you going to get your free music from? Stop killing the industry. because there may be a lot of free music at your fingertips now...but nothing is free forever, particularly when there isn't any left.
i am sick of people laughing off illegal downloads like it's not important or a "real" crime. The fact of the matter is no matter how many people do it it is still illegal. Yes so most of the money goes to the record company but a lot of artists now release albums independently and guess what! The money doesn't go to a record label. Plus what people forget is if people continue to download illegally, yes they are ripping of the artist and the label...when the label is losing money..that can lead to them signing less artists or eventually not being able to afford to release an album...then where are you going to get your free music from? Stop killing the industry. because there may be a lot of free music at your fingertips now...but nothing is free forever, particularly when there isn't any left.
Posted by: various on 5:32am Fri 26 Oct 07
p.s. for those of you that download illegally because you want to "explore" the artist and work out if you like them or not...it's called myspace or streaming tracks on legal download sites. this is all free and legal and a great way to work out if you like an artist before going to see them live or buying their CD. If you illegally download the album to "see if you like them" then are you really going to support them by going and legally buying the CD again...i think not.
p.s. for those of you that download illegally because you want to "explore" the artist and work out if you like them or not...it's called myspace or streaming tracks on legal download sites. this is all free and legal and a great way to work out if you like an artist before going to see them live or buying their CD. If you illegally download the album to "see if you like them" then are you really going to support them by going and legally buying the CD again...i think not.
Posted by: activate, Terneuzen, Netherlands on 9:34am Fri 26 Oct 07
Peeps will continue to make music simply coz they lov it. Other peeps will continue to spread this music around. Be it for money or not. But this is just life. Has been since the introduction of the cassette that was used to tape vinyl on.
"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."
This is a case of friends sharing music. That's how it all started. Would it have been better if it would have been 40 small sites that did the same? Then would it be just 'small groups of friends' that 'shared music' ?
This just goes to show that there are too many peeps wasting too much police effort and time on things that noone responds to with "This will help me sleep better at night". I actually would have responded like that would it have been the owner of a child pornography site...
Regards,
AcTiVaTe
P.S. /me curls his tail
Peeps will continue to make music simply coz they lov it. Other peeps will continue to spread this music around. Be it for money or not. But this is just life. Has been since the introduction of the cassette that was used to tape vinyl on.
"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."
This is a case of friends sharing music. That's how it all started. Would it have been better if it would have been 40 small sites that did the same? Then would it be just 'small groups of friends' that 'shared music' ?
This just goes to show that there are too many peeps wasting too much police effort and time on things that noone responds to with "This will help me sleep better at night". I actually would have responded like that would it have been the owner of a child pornography site...
Regards,
AcTiVaTe
P.S. /me curls his tail
Posted by: purdz, north north on 9:28pm Fri 26 Oct 07
[quote][bold]various[/bold] wrote:
p.s. for those of you that download illegally because you want to "explore" the artist and work out if you like them or not...it's called myspace or streaming tracks on legal download sites. this is all free and legal and a great way to work out if you like an artist before going to see them live or buying their CD. If you illegally download the album to "see if you like them" then are you really going to support them by going and legally buying the CD again...i think not. [/quote] lol you make me laugh.. you do realise streaming music is recordable.. i know a lot of people who record this streamed music and jus replay it when they want they arent paying a penny but i guess they will never get found out.. and if you read my post above you will see that these record companies are actually talkin rubbish about how much money they are losing..
various wrote:
p.s. for those of you that download illegally because you want to "explore" the artist and work out if you like them or not...it's called myspace or streaming tracks on legal download sites. this is all free and legal and a great way to work out if you like an artist before going to see them live or buying their CD. If you illegally download the album to "see if you like them" then are you really going to support them by going and legally buying the CD again...i think not.
lol you make me laugh.. you do realise streaming music is recordable.. i know a lot of people who record this streamed music and jus replay it when they want they arent paying a penny but i guess they will never get found out.. and if you read my post above you will see that these record companies are actually talkin rubbish about how much money they are losing..
Posted by: me, here on 2:07pm Fri 16 Nov 07
why get in trouble for what you can record off of the radio or television for that matter. People have been doing it for years. Just now you have millions of friends offering their "mix tapes" or copies. Don't tell me you non downloaders [bold]never[/bold] got a copy from a friend!
why get in trouble for what you can record off of the radio or television for that matter. People have been doing it for years. Just now you have millions of friends offering their "mix tapes" or copies. Don't tell me you non downloaders
never got a copy from a friend!
Posted by: Ben Dover, Yo Mommas House on 6:16am Sun 9 Dec 07
LMAO at all of you do-gooders paying 19.99 for a music CD (thats in the US no telling what you brits pay) when you could have it for free.
LMAO at all of you do-gooders paying 19.99 for a music CD (thats in the US no telling what you brits pay) when you could have it for free.
Posted by: Audio Engineer, NYC on 6:56pm Wed 12 Dec 07
i think people should get back to paying for music. that way musicians can actually earn a living not to mention audio engineers (tracking, mixing, mastering). when people decide to not pay for music it makes things tough for anyone trying to make a living by producing great music for your enjoyment.
i think people should get back to paying for music. that way musicians can actually earn a living not to mention audio engineers (tracking, mixing, mastering). when people decide to not pay for music it makes things tough for anyone trying to make a living by producing great music for your enjoyment.
Posted by: Citizen Kane, hiding in the bushes on 2:16pm Sat 15 Dec 07
lol audio engineer, [bold]just because someone cant find a job ;)[/bold] you really think they make money selling the tracks they make? No, that all goes to the big record companies, who really dont deserve most of it. Thats why since the dawn of time (or music in this case), do gigs and concerts... to earn money! Also they have sponsors and the record companies.
lol audio engineer,
just because someone cant find a job ;) you really think they make money selling the tracks they make? No, that all goes to the big record companies, who really dont deserve most of it. Thats why since the dawn of time (or music in this case), do gigs and concerts... to earn money! Also they have sponsors and the record companies.
Posted by: what ever. on 6:18pm Tue 18 Dec 07
To be honest i prefer to buy music in hardcopy, downloading isnt really for me. However a bust like this must have coast the tax payers a very large amount of money. That money could have gone to better health care, schooling, even more police officers on the streets. while i believe that there is no such thing as a victim less crime i believe that there are far better things that that money could have been used for. Arresting and prosecuting any suspect runs in to the thousands of pound, not to mention the amount of money it cost to imprrison them. Maybe that money could have gone to prosecuting murders, rapist or child abusers. I think that its sad that people who take money away from the corporations are treated far worse in the eyes of the law then people who commit truly heinous crimes. Again while i dont agree with down loading music illegally i think then government could have spent there time, money and resources on somthing far more important.
To be honest i prefer to buy music in hardcopy, downloading isnt really for me. However a bust like this must have coast the tax payers a very large amount of money. That money could have gone to better health care, schooling, even more police officers on the streets. while i believe that there is no such thing as a victim less crime i believe that there are far better things that that money could have been used for. Arresting and prosecuting any suspect runs in to the thousands of pound, not to mention the amount of money it cost to imprrison them. Maybe that money could have gone to prosecuting murders, rapist or child abusers. I think that its sad that people who take money away from the corporations are treated far worse in the eyes of the law then people who commit truly heinous crimes. Again while i dont agree with down loading music illegally i think then government could have spent there time, money and resources on somthing far more important.
Posted by: joe, bristol on 12:21pm Wed 23 Jan 08
music.... its only music... why not go bust a man for selling drugs or summink
music.... its only music... why not go bust a man for selling drugs or summink
Posted by: straightHITS, new yawkkk on 7:29pm Wed 23 Jan 08
[bold]go to http://straighthits.
net if you still want music haha, RIAA can't stop us :) **** the RIAA.[/bold]
go to http://straighthits.
net if you still want music haha, RIAA can't stop us :) **** the RIAA. Posted by: Jamie Blue, Sheffield on 10:43pm Thu 27 Mar 08
do you really think this is a good use of our police force? This is "a practice that music and film companies claim is costing them billions of pounds in lost revenue annually". £13 for most albums in shops? Who's losing billions?
do you really think this is a good use of our police force? This is "a practice that music and film companies claim is costing them billions of pounds in lost revenue annually". £13 for most albums in shops? Who's losing billions?
Posted by: lusardi on 1:20pm Thu 8 May 08
theres a website which has bin letting people upload naked pictures of children and i don no what to do about as i am a victim because i was miss lead and sent some pictures out and i found out all my details and the pictures that i sent was on this website and im only 15 so i dont think its right and theres a few other girls pics who look way under age is on there without them knowing .x.
the website is www.anonib.com/teens
norules
please check and help fight this problem i begg u .x.
theres a website which has bin letting people upload naked pictures of children and i don no what to do about as i am a victim because i was miss lead and sent some pictures out and i found out all my details and the pictures that i sent was on this website and im only 15 so i dont think its right and theres a few other girls pics who look way under age is on there without them knowing .x.
the website is www.anonib.com/teens
norules
please check and help fight this problem i begg u .x.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
