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- BrianCMasi, on 10/31/2007, -3/+170I hope because I donated a few bones to the site I don't get *****.
- kurupt, on 10/25/2007, -4/+132The common theme that seems to be conveyed here is that everyone that used the site was put on to more music than they would have had through more traditional means. If only this was talked about more prominently. It would echo the sentiment that the industry is failing in their attempt to put out music to the masses. MTV should be rebranded as RTV (Reality Television), VH1 hasn't really done much either. Mainstream radio stations are failing music "fans" - not just those people who let top 40 dictate what they should be listening to or those who only listen to music passively like elevator music.
In a time where the most well known artists are putting out records that are (usually) sub par, the only way to really learn about new artists are through friends and acquire them through means such as this, or wait for a friend to burn you a CD. But, the latter is also illegal. I'm not an old fart but, I remember dubbing cassette tapes back in the day.
To the RIAA, IFPI and the BPI: Change is inevitable, no matter how hard you try to fight it. Fans want this and if you haven't learned from the past (Napster, Kazaa, Grokster, Limewire, Suprnova) then this game of cat and mouse will continue. - notorious., on 10/25/2007, -6/+127Not to overstate the obvious or anything, but this sucks.
Hope everyone at OiNK turns out alright. - thatguy424, on 10/25/2007, -7/+81I demand a fund raiser for the dude arrested! this is *****.
I also love how they say it was a pay site. Funny i never paid a dollar. :-s and keeping ratio was easy so its not like you had to donate. - cantimolto, on 10/25/2007, -1/+57Nobody was "just leeching." That's why people are scared.
- Sirocco, on 10/25/2007, -3/+55I imagine they are interested in locating sceners upping fresh material rather than trying to play legal whack-a-mole with the other ~200k people who were just leeching.
- markwilcox, on 10/24/2007, -1/+47I think they're losing at the moment
- heartcoldfusion, on 10/25/2007, -0/+45Oink Facts/Rumors:
http://enjoys.it/2007/10/23/some-facts-and-some-ru ... - joeycerone, on 10/26/2007, -4/+46i call *****, the message on oink.cd is just to scare everyone.
- Genjeta, on 10/24/2007, -1/+43Man, I've been trying to get an invite to that site for over a year, kinda glad I never got it now, wouldn't wanna worry about this investigation, even if doesn't turn out to be anything serious.
- SomeImagination, on 10/25/2007, -3/+45It's not illegal to view a website now is it?
- ChromaVita, on 11/04/2007, -6/+44Keeping a ratio was extremely difficult.
***** you Comcast. - inactive, on 10/25/2007, -2/+37best music torrent site i used
- rudy23, on 10/24/2007, -1/+31"I idled in IRC for a few hours"
I think you answered your own question - inactive, on 10/25/2007, -1/+29I'm calling their bluff. That message is no different than the "You can click but you can't hide" message. It's just a scare tactic to discourage all those involved with Oink (or anyone who has heard of this story) from continuing downloading.
- Ryan001, on 10/27/2007, -0/+28I couldn't read that page either...looks like their CSS wasn't loading or somethin.
Many of OiNK’s users have been enquiring if their details are safe on the site. The message: “A criminal investigation continues into the identities and activities of the site’s users” will not exactly fill them with confidence.
However, everyone in the BitTorrent world will be familiar with the propaganda put out by anti-piracy organizations and many will be familiar with a similar situation a few years ago when the LokiTorrent tracker was closed and seemingly none of the users were tracked down. Fear, uncertainty and doubt - it’s all part of the anti-p2p strategy but it’s hugely doubtful that 180,000 users will be pursued, it’s just not cost effective and most are scattered around the globe.
According to whois.sc, the visitors to the site are split: United States 50.7%, United Kingdom 7%, Canada 6%, Sweden 3.2%, Germany 2.7% and Netherlands at just 1.9%. Although of questionable accuracy, these figures should give at least an idea of the trend on the site.
Clearly the statement on the homepage is designed to scare all the ex-OiNK members back into the record shops and not let them think it’s safe to join another tracker. That strategy has been tried before (You Can Click But You Can’t Hide) and it doesn’t work. Additionally, more and more people are choosing to protect their privacy with VPN services such as VPNTunnel and Relakks, finding that a small investment is worth the peace of mind in the long run.
So who are the players in this OiNK takedown?
Most people know about the IFPI - The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. This organization says it represents the worldwide interests of the recording industry with the backing of nearly 1,500 record businesses in 75 countries. Its main aim is to fight piracy.
The BPI - British Phonographic Industry is similar to the RIAA in the US. It’s made up of hundreds of music businesses and fronted by the ‘big four’ - EMI, Sony BMG, Universal and Warner. Created in 1973, its stated main aim is to combat piracy.
The FIOD-ECD - Fiscal Investigation Unit of the Dutch Police is a worrying inclusion to the list of people involved in the closure of OiNK. FIOD-ECD is a Dutch government agency dedicated to chasing down people alleged to be involved in fiscal, financial and economic fraud - usually major criminals. With these people involved, getting access to records from hosts wouldn’t have proven too difficult - FIOD-ECD are not just another BREIN, they have some serious powers.
People familiar with the ShareConnector and Releases4u cases in the Netherlands will remember the involvement of FIOD-ECD. The case took over 2 years to come to court and the result was a complete failure for them. The admin of ShareConnector got off completely and a couple of small fines (around $350) were handed out to the admins of Releases4U for uploading copyright material. Additionally, FIOD-ECD failed to provide enough evidence to prove ShareConnector was involved in copyright infringement nor enough to prove that either organization was criminal in nature.
Many people will be keeping their fingers crossed that the progress against OiNK mirrors this.
Following a 2 year investigation (or 3 month investigation, depending on the source) which involved Interpol, Police are insisting that OiNK was a pay site. Members were given the option to donate but this insistence that OiNK was some sort of criminal network where people paid to be a member is clearly untrue but it’s likely that this is the reason the real police (as opposed to the ‘copyright police’) and FIOD-ECD are involved.
Jeremy Banks of the IFPI said: “This was not a case of friends sharing music for pleasure.”
Yes it was Jeremy. - plusmedic, on 10/25/2007, -2/+30Donating didn't even help your ratio, there were no benefits besides supporting the cost of the website, getting a little star next to your name, and gaining power user status that just let you search better. You were not allowed to download any more music than anyone else if you donated.
- DiggDugglas, on 10/26/2007, -3/+29Wikipedia: "According to the International Federation of the Pirate Interests, OiNK was the largest source of leaked albums in the world. The IFPI claims that OiNK was responsible for leaking more than 60 major album releases in 2007 alone."
HAHAHAHAAHAHA! seriously though, I hope everyone's alright. - gothicx00, on 10/25/2007, -0/+26I understand that most people are reluctant to fight it, and each unto their own, but.... this is what I have to say about it. Just "settling* is exactlly what they are expecting you to do. The evil minds at the RIAA, MPAA, IFPBI or whatever they are called know for a damn fact that most of the file sharers will just bend over and take it rather than fight. That sets a bad precidence for these companies that have knowingly committed illegal acts themselves on a great number of occasions to obtain the information that led to the suits.
I will say this as loud and clear as possible. I was an Oink user since very very early on in it's life. My collective upload and download numbers exceeds what I have in combined hard-drive space between 4 different computers. If I get subpoenaed over this, I will fight it. It will become a god-damn circus, attracting all the media possible. I'll show up to court in my boxers if it will get the attention it needs. It'll be like The People vs. Larry Flint all over again. I'll call to witness outspoken artists that agree that their fans, the people who pay their bills shouldn't be treated this way. I'll gather former users and class action sue their asses. I care not for money, the lawyers can have that. The point is, this ***** has to stop.
Have I committed copyright infringment? Well, that is up to the courts to decide. But my illegal acts are not what should be in question. Just because you have people committing illegal acts towards your company, does not give you the right to commit illegal acts to try and nail them to the wall.
Bittorrent has been the single greatest tool to get people to hear your music. Lucky Boys Confusion realized this, and gave out free songs for people to throw on bittorrent sites to spread the love. I have been exposed to music, that if it weren't for bittorrent i would have otherwise been ignorant to. Have I purchased everything that I was exposed to? No. But the stuff I really liked, and believed in, I've found ways to compensate the artist. They make far more money off of concerts than recorded material.anyway.
The recording industry needs to stop treating it's artists like lower class citizens, and it's customers like criminals. I'd pay $15-$20 an album for my favorite artists, If i knew for a fact that more than 2-10% of that was going to the artist. The time of cooking the books and ripping everyone else off in the process needs to end. I welcome a subpoena. I'll be waiting by the mailbox everyday till it comes. That means I'll get my day in court, and be one of the few that fights it in hopes of a change. - ghawg, on 10/24/2007, -2/+27Much more informative and insightful article than what has been on the front page thus far.
- konamicode, on 10/25/2007, -3/+28Couldn't agree with you more.
It'd be great if the Pirate Bay (or other similar torrent site) could pick up where OiNK left off. Granted, you can get music almost anywhere, but what set OiNK apart was the great organization and search-ability of the music, as well as the participation of users in their forums. I have discovered so much fantastic music suggested by people in OiNK, and therefore spent money on shows and/or merchandise that I would never have before.
IMHO, this is not just a sad day for audiophiles and file sharers, but for undiscovered musicians and the music industry in general. Shame on you, IFPI!!! - boxybrzown, on 10/24/2007, -1/+21Quiet...they'll hear you!
- LoungeActx, on 10/25/2007, -1/+20Except for the fact that everyone needed to share. You needed to maintain a certain ratio in order to keep your account.
- inactive, on 10/24/2007, -1/+19I sure hope that my donating doesn't come back to harm me.
- mmaf, on 10/24/2007, -0/+17i guess this explains why the mods had made some curious changes a few days to make peoples uploaded torrent lists private.
- Krumm, on 10/24/2007, -4/+21Cleveland Police are heading it up, they would rather sit on their asses in a warm cop car with a flask of coffee and bust people doing 31mph in a 30 zone than do any real work.
They also have Middlesbrough to keep an eye on, which for anyone fortunate enough not to know, is a giant ***** full of drugs and chavs - so there's plenty to keep them occupied. - Infinite84, on 10/24/2007, -2/+18I don't think they'd care as much if it was child porn
- homesickalien, on 10/24/2007, -2/+18When other torrent sites were shutdown I was mildly annoyed if anything, but today a piece of my soul just died. OiNK wasn't some music pirate mecca. It was a community of the most diehard music lovers on the planet that had exposed some of the finest indie bands that otherwise would have gone unheard. I'm supremely pissed off to say the least. You ***** are going down. I vow to never buy a record from any type of retailer again. I will ONLY buy records offstage.
- Ireland, on 10/24/2007, -2/+17Honestly if iTunes had every single + album in the world, I would never use Oink (though I'm not a member) or any torrent site for music. 99c is fair, the record labels need to step up, kill DRM for good, and put every album in existence up from download.
- unruled, on 10/24/2007, -1/+15hope my account that I couldn't log into was pruned or something :)
- Remmiz, on 10/26/2007, -1/+15Anyone else having to select the text on this site to read it? Really annoying...
- SpykerSpeed, on 10/25/2007, -0/+14I think this whole ordeal has really highlighted the need for a network of torrent tracker mirrors. The irony of torrents is that while they are the most decentralized method of downloading files, they rely on a central tracker which arguably makes it easier for the RIAA et al to take them down.
- RufusJSquirrel, on 10/24/2007, -2/+16Jesus ***** Christ. They're acting like this was a kiddie porn site or something.
- losthimself, on 10/25/2007, -3/+17Oink was my best friend AND THEY KILLED HIM! I agree that we should help oink's owner.
- TimmyGUNZ, on 10/25/2007, -0/+13That definitely made me feel a little better!
- Niffer, on 10/24/2007, -0/+13You should have shared.... bastard....
:-P - oavil, on 10/24/2007, -0/+12My wifi is unsecured, prove it *****.
- Niffer, on 10/24/2007, -1/+13I think they're aware of when Demonoid is running and not. Their kids are at home downloading while they work in the office with their typewriters and US postage stamp reserves.
- olik, on 10/25/2007, -0/+12Ok, this demonstrates the ABSOLUTE NECESSITY of careful planning in database management in order to secure user data. For example, OiNK undoubtedly logged IPs, they had to to run a private tracker. I have used some private trackers and they will display your actual IP if you log in and snoop around the settings pages. Now the *IAAs have those IPs.
What OiNK SHOULD have done, and what EVERY private tracker should do from now on is not store the IP address, but use a one-way hash. The information stored would be the product of function(IP-Address, Username). That would make each user identifiable by ip address for the purposes of a private tracker without storing sensetive information. PLEASE spread the word that bittorrent trackers, and all such sites, need to start implementing this practice. - strictnein, on 10/24/2007, -0/+12I've lost track of the times that I've gone to iTunes or a number of other legit sources of music (Beatport, etc) and haven't been able to find what I wanted. So I end up having to just pirate it. It sucks really.
- ostracize, on 10/24/2007, -2/+13You desperately need a life.
- nightwave, on 10/24/2007, -0/+11If anything, the identities and activities of the users will be used to link to other related popular torrent sites. I highly doubt any personal prosecution and/or donor prosecution would ever happen.
- PA42, on 10/24/2007, -0/+10The real question is: if you download something while you are in the US from a source in another country, did the infringement happen in the US or in the other country. The answer is a bit murky under US law, but if I were sued I would settle rather than find out.
- tizz66, on 10/24/2007, -3/+13It always amazes me how many people don't understand this. If you don't like their business model, then stop consuming their product. Don't buy it, don't download it. If you download it, you give them ammo in the media and in the courts, and their business model WILL NOT go away. The only way things will change is if people send a message that they don't want their product at any cost. All downloaders are doing is prolonging it. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
- prosume, on 10/25/2007, -0/+10Oink was the best way to learn about new music. Bummer :(
- inactive, on 10/24/2007, -0/+9Not only that but oink had rare hard to find songs and bands that set it apart from almost most if not all P2P sites.
- Cyber_Akuma, on 10/24/2007, -0/+9Lets meet half way and say it happened somewhere in the middle of that cable in the ocean, or satellite in space...
- ZenFountain, on 10/26/2007, -1/+9http://www.campus.tv/index.php?action=showmovie&mo ...
Interview with NFOrce, oink's host. - PrettyMuchBryce, on 10/24/2007, -0/+8Yes.
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