Six people alleged to be former users of the OiNK file sharing website have been arrested "in relation to uploading pre-release music", it has emerged.
The individuals were arrested then released on bail by Cleveland police at the end of last month. They have been asked in interview for their OiNK login details and about links to Alan Ellis, who ran the site, according to reports.
Ellis, from Middlesbrough, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and copyright infringement when the site was
closed down by police in October. He has not been charged and remains on police bail.
Membership of OiNK, a BitTorrent tracker which specialised in high quality music, was by invite only. It is thought to have been targeted because of its focus on pre-release music.
Record industry association the BPI said this week: "The illegal online distribution of music, particularly pre-release, is hugely damaging, and as OiNK was the biggest source for pre-releases at the time we moved to shut it down."