The trial of Alan Ellis, the administrator of the now defunct OiNK's Pink Palace, is off to a running start. And of particular note, as reported by The Daily Mail, the prosecutors opened with the revelation that Allan had over £190,000 (or just over $300,000) in his PayPal accounts when his home was raided in 2007. That's quite a bit of money - but as of yet there is only evidence and speculation regarding its origins.

Of course, the prosecution in the case is claiming it is directly related to the donations he has received from members. Maybe this is true, but we haven't heard the defense testimony yet nor an explanation about the origins or uses of this money. The mainstream media is running with this story, since it does superficially appear to pin a damning label on Alan.



But having a horde of money doesn't necessarily imply copyright infringement, or that OiNK's existence violated any laws. Alan is being charged with "Conspiracy to Defraud" - but it remains to be seen how a jury of his peers will interpret OiNK and BitTorrent in general.

Why all this attention? OiNK wasn't just any BitTorrent website - it was a massive community of users totaling over 200,000. Even Trent Reznor of NIN used the site and praised it when he learned of its closure. Unlike many other communities, OiNK was renowned for its quality and diversity - much like SoulSeek in many way. But hey, we always have iTunes, right?

Edit: It should be pointed out that new surrounding this story is centered mostly on the prosecution's story. It's possible that the $300,000 was accumulated - and spent - over a period of time. How much did Alan actually have in 2007? We'll know more as this story evolves.

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