Music Labels Win Police Action Against Pre-Release P2P Network

British and Dutch police have apparently shut down a private Bit Torrent tracker the music industry says was the world’s biggest online network of illegal pre-release albums. Membership of OiNK is highly sought-after, with invites selling on eBay (NSDQ: EBAY) and dozens of requests posted online. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) estimated its membership at 180,000 and reckons 60 albums so far this year have hit the P2P network ahead of their street date. Working on information from IFPI and the British Phonographic Industry (IFPI) with Interpol, Cleveland police arrested a 24-year-old Middlesbrough man alleged to be the admin; servers were confiscated in Amsterdam last week. The BPI reckons the action will cause “major disruption”. OiNK was forced to move from oink.me.uk to oink.cd this summer after legal pressure from British domain name registry Nominet.