Earlier this week, the founder of OiNK, the world’s largest “peer-to-peer” music download site, was arrested after a 2-yr criminal investigation. Well now that the young lad has posted bail and is temporarily out of the slammer, he speaks up about the site. 24 yr old Alan Ellis, who set up the site 3 1/2 years ago told the British tabloid The Daily Telegraph that he hasn’t done anything wrong. According to him, OiNK is no different than 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…My site is no different to something like Google.”
I’m not sure I agree with that, but in any event he goes on to say:
“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.”
Ehhh. Wrong again. How redundant is that? Why would you download a song, then go buy the cd, and then upload it to iTunes? Who needs two digital files for one song? There are two schools of music-listeners: the freeloaders and the cd purchasers (iTunes shoppers can be included in the latter). If you download and then buy, check your dusty dictionary for the phrase “big fat waste of time.”
