Is taking PayPal donations to help pay for the legal costs of defending himself in court following his arrest by UK authorities for suspected illegal music distribution.
It was almost 3 weeks ago that British police arrested a 24yo UK man named Alan Ellis on suspicion of being the one behind OiNK, the BitTorrent community’s most popular music-dedicated tracker site. The raids, which were coordinated by Interpol, followed a two-year investigation by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
In its wake not only did Alan lose his job, but he faces mounting legal bills as parties line up to sue him for copyright infringement and piracy.
Ex-OiNKers had asked about how they could show their support for the embattled founder and help pay for his legal expenses. Now it seems they at last have an answer – “Save OiNK.”
From the site:
This site has been created in an effort to support the founder of a website many people used and loved, Oink’s Pink Palace. With widespread media and Internet coverage, you have all probably heard the site was recently taken down and the founder Alan Ellis has had legal action taken against him. The aftermath of the outlandish fabricated truths spread throughout the media have had rippling effects on Alan and his family. We as a community take this opportunity to stand up for Alan and provide support where needed.
As of now we are interceding on Oink’s behalf and relaying one-time gifts into the hands of one of Alan’s closest and most trusted friends where they will ultimately go towards helping Alan and his family in these difficult times. Fellow Oink Supporters are encouraged to send a one-time gift not to exceed £250 (See currency exchange) to a designated PayPal account setup in his honor. Note: Due to PayPal and other processing fees, we respectfully request that a minimum gift of £3 be sent.
Called “100% legit” and “piggy approved,” which is important considering the flood of bogus donation sites that sprouted up overnight., the donations are being solicited by one of Alan’s “closest and most trusted friends” on his behalf. Any leftover funds are promised to go towards a predetermined charity.
Alan writes on OiNK.cd:
A PayPal account has been setup for those of you wishing to give a gift to help out. Although the account is not in my name (it can’t be), it is someone I trust. Being a gift, you won’t get anything in return (besides that warm, fuzzy feeling inside!). Gifts are also exempt from tax for the person receiving them. If for some reason the fund is unnecessary, or more than enough is received, it will be given to an animal charity. The current choice is International Animal Rescue, though that might change.
At the present time however, it seems that “Save OiNK” is experiencing some PayPal problems so interested donors may have to wait a while to show their support. It’s not clear what the exact problem is other than PayPal has simply decided to “…put the kibosh on the Save OiNK funding at the moment.” It’s backers are trying to get things sorted out, but the process could take several days before the account is unblocked and able to accept gifts again.
If you’re one of the countless users out there who had the pleasure of frequenting OiNK over the years, I urge you to return the favor and give a few dollars to “Save OiNK” so that it can help save Alan in these difficult times.
Looking for more stuff to watch or download?
What to Use Instead of OiNK
OiNK Taken Down by Interpol, Investigation Into Users Continues
OiNK Memorial Site Goes Online
OiNK Admin: ‘The Logs We Store Aren’t Enough to Incriminate Users’
Tips on how to not get busted for file-sharing
3 Quick Ways to Watch Movies for FREE!
3 quick ways to watch TV shows for FREE
BitTorrent torrent sites & search engines
uTorrent – A Beginner’s guide to BitTorrent downloading
News Tip? Comment? Suggestion? [email protected]
Yes read end of story above………….
“At the present time however it seems that “Save OiNK” is experiencing some PayPal problems so interested donors may have to wait a while to show their support. It’s not clear what the exact problem is other than PayPal has simply decided to “…put the kibosh on the Save OiNK funding at the moment.” It’s backers are trying to get things sorted out but the process could take several days before the account is unblocked and able to accept gifts again.”
“This recipient is currently unable to receive money.”
Not sure who has stopped this but donations cannot be made at the time of posting this.