Many BitTorrent users were dumbfounded Thursday when they tried to log on to the popular OiNK.cd website only to find this message waiting for them:

“This site has been closed as a result of a criminal investigation by IFPI, BPI, Cleveland Police and the Fiscal Investigation Unit of the Dutch Police (FIOD ECD) into suspected illegal music distribution.”

“A criminal investigation continues into the identities and activities of the site’s users.”

For the over 180,000 OiNK users, the latter warning seems to be the most antagonizing for the online BitTorrent community. Will prosecutors really track down users this time? Based on past evidence, it seems unlikely. OiNK’s user base reaches to all parts of the globe and the costs associated with such an investigation are extremely high.

However, while the closure of OiNK is bad in the short run, it ultimately strengthens both developer and user interest in both BitTorrent and Peer-to-Peer. The “Napster Effect” will run its course and, while OiNK seemed near-perfect to some, its closure will usher in a new wave of improved piracy methods.

The news of OiNK’s demise comes only a few short days after the shutdown of the popular television streaming network , TVLinks.