Without logs of the ip addresses, it is my humble estimation that the RIAA would have a tough time linking any information they received during the raids to any real people in court (donation info excluded). I don’t even think they’ll have a super easy time prosecuting Alan Ellis.

LITIGATION IS NOT THE ANSWER.

But, like with stealing cable from a black box, maybe enough lawsuits and scare tactics will work. Good luck.

Oh c’mon. I’m not saying everyone on Oink was innocent… not by a long shot. There’s no need to be such a bitch about it. What I am saying is that a lot of people spend all they can on music, & then they get the rest off of oink, whether it’s something obscure that they can’t otherwise find, something they never would’ve purchased to begin with, or something that they might purchase in a week or two if it’s good.

It’s really easy to stereotype the evil music pirate, but with something like Oink, it’s far more complicated than that. What ends up happening is that you make more enemies & LOSE MORE MONEY in the process.

Answer me this, honestly… would you rather the industry die based on principle, or return to health based on a compromise, with a renewed relationship with fans? …capitalizing on the most interest in music that there’s EVER BEEN. Is this a moral issue? Is this a legal issue? Is this an ego issue? Or is this about MUSIC?

I don’t know about you, but I live for music. Fuck everything else.

Committed fans support the artist? I should poll all of my favorite artists… ask them about those fat royalty checks coming in the mail. I mean… I’m absolutely sure they see those, right?

That should probably read “Committed fans support Clive Davis.”

I’m not saying “it’s totally cool to steal, since the singer in my favorite band won’t see a dime of my money,” but I AM saying your comment is bullshit.

You wanna talk about supporting the artists? Who do you think goes to shows? The 180,000 kids who use Oink, that’s who.

And this is ignorance. Keeping you eyes closed, refusing to deal with reality.

this is propaganda. This is a copyright issue. This wont last forever.

Pre-order for 5 bucks or pay nothing?

How about letting us hear it first, letting us decide if we like it and THEN letting us name our price?

The real analysis of the situation is this:
A FREE WEBSITE IS DOING A BETTER JOB THAN ITUNES OR ANYTHING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EVER TRIED!

Thats the real reality. Some smart kids came up with a great system, something the labels have failed to do… during the last 7 years! 7 years!!!

Yes, Oink users were downloading music for free. But why not stop a second, take a look at the system, and try to figure out why it’s working so well, and how you could monetize it (i.e. a $15/month all you can download subscription). But the labels are too ignorant to consider something like this. That’s why the majors will eventually die. It’s inevitable. The executives are stuck in a bubble where it’s still 1975, but outside it’s already a new millennium. TIME TO WAKE UP!

I’ll quote Lefsetz on this over and over on this, because he said it perfectly: “There IS NO CONTROL! Face it! The genie can’t be put back in the bottle. Deal with reality old farts.”

No, Oink is the home to thieves. Committed fans of music dont steal copyrights, they support the artists.