26 year-old Alan Ellis, a British software engineer, founded a torrent site called OiNK in 2004. In 2007, the site was forcibly shut down by authorities, and Ellis went from his status as a regular guy to becoming the first person in the UK to get prosecuted for “file sharing.”

However, Ellis never really shared files. The site used an indexing system that allows OiNK users to upload files from their own computers, which is the same model of many current torrent sites. OiNK simply facilitated the music uploads and downloads. During the trial at Teesside Crown Court, the prosecuting attorney informed the jury of money Ellis had kept in various bank accounts, totaling approximately $300,000. Ellis cited OiNK users’ option to donate, and he had planned to use the money to pay for server costs.

Ellis explained to the court that his reasons behind starting the site included improving his skills and marketability as a software engineer.

On the basis that Ellis did not personally host music files, he was found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud copyright holders.

(Via BBC)