Several charged with fraud concerning OiNK site

It's easy to forget when enjoying the spoils of free music from download websites that people can actually go to jail for it. Case in point: Alan Ellis, creator of the invite-only torrent download site OiNK, has been charged with "conspiracy to defraud," reports Pitchfork. Ellis' case will be heard in front of a British magistrate on Sept. 24.

OiNK boasted roughly 180,000 members at the time of its closure by British and Dutch police in October of last year. Membership was free, but users were expect to upload a certain quota of albums and monetary donations were encouraged. OiNK quickly won fans over with its gloriously expansive library. Even musicians sang its praises. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails told New York Magazine the following when asked about the site's abrupt closure:

"I'll admit I had an account there and frequented it quite often. At the end of the day, what made OiNK a great place was that it was like the world's greatest record store. Pretty much anything you could ever imagine, it was there, and it was there in the format you wanted. If OiNK cost anything, I would certainly have paid, but there isn't the equivalent of that in the retail space right now," Reznor said. "I'm not saying that I think OiNK is morally correct, but I do know that it existed because it filled a void of what people want."

Outside of Ellis, a number of OiNK members are facing charges of criminal copywright infringement. Despite the site's obvious illegal activity, Ellis has been vocal about proclaiming his innocence. "I haven't done anything wrong. I don't believe my website breaks the law. They don't understand how it works," he said in 2007. "When I set up the site I didn't think I was doing anything illegal and I still don't."

Stay tuned to see whether Ellis' "I haven't done anything wrong" defense will fly in court.

Related links:
News: Torrent site OiNK sent to the slaughter, one arrested
News: Squals of OiNK lovers reverberate across the Internet
OiNK.cd

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