Kim Dotcom, the founder of the defunct file-sharing site Megaupload, is closer to facing trial in the United States. After years of legal battles, New Zealand’s Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith signed an extradition order. The case dates back to 2012.
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Dotcom’s legal issues began when U.S. authorities accused Megaupload of facilitating massive piracy, costing film studios and record companies more than $500 million. The platform allowed users to upload and share files, and it generated about $175 million in revenue before it was shut down.
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In 2012, New Zealand police acting on FBI orders raided Dotcom’s Auckland mansion with 70 officers. The raid, captured on video, was later turned into a widely publicized YouTube video.
Dotcom described the raid as a “Hollywood-style publicity stunt,” excessive for his arrest. He eventually reached a settlement with New Zealand police but has continued to face charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering.
“I considered all of the information carefully and decided that Mr. Dotcom should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial,” Goldsmith said in a statement on his ruling to allow extradition.
Dotcom, criticizing the decision on social media, described it as an act of compliance by “the obedient U.S. colony in the South Pacific.”
Dotcom, a German-born New Zealand resident, faces 13 charges in the U.S. Two of his colleagues, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, avoided extradition by accepting plea deals that resulted in prison terms in New Zealand in 2023. Another executive, Finn Batato, passed away in 2022.
U.S. authorities claim that Dotcom and his executives encouraged users to store and share copyrighted material, significantly impacting the entertainment industry.
As the extradition process progresses, Dotcom has vowed to appeal the decision, maintaining that he was being penalized for the actions of Megaupload’s users, not his own.
[KARAH RUCKER]
KIM DOTCOM, THE FOUNDER OF THE NOW-DEFUNCT FILE-SHARING GIANT MEGAUPLOAD, IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO FACING TRIAL IN THE UNITED STATES. AFTER YEARS OF LEGAL BATTLES, NEW ZEALAND’S JUSTICE MINISTER SIGNED AN ORDER FOR DOTCOM’S EXTRADITION — A CASE THAT DATES BACK TO 2012.
HIS ATTORNEYS SAY HE’S BEING EXTRADITED FOR ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY MEGAUPLOAD USERS — RATHER THAN HIS OWN ACTIONS AND VOWED TO APPEAL THE DECISION.
DOTCOM’S LEGAL SAGA BEGAN WHEN U.S. AUTHORITIES ACCUSED MEGAUPLOAD OF FACILITATING MASSIVE PIRACY — REPORTEDLY COSTING FILM STUDIOS AND RECORD COMPANIES OVER $500 MILLION. THE PLATFORM, WHICH ALLOWED USERS TO UPLOAD AND SHARE FILES, BECAME A HOTSPOT FOR PIRATED CONTENT, GENERATING AROUND $175 MILLION IN REVENUE BEFORE IT WAS SHUT DOWN.
IN 2012, NEW ZEALAND POLICE — ACTING ON FBI ORDERS — STORMED DOTCOM’S AUCKLAND MANSION IN A DRAMATIC 70-OFFICER RAID — FOOTAGE SO SENSATIONAL HE TURNED IT INTO A WIDELY-PUBLICIZED YOUTUBE VIDEO.
DOTCOM CALLED IT A “HOLLYWOOD-STYLE PUBLICITY STUNT,” CLAIMING IT WAS FAR BEYOND WHAT WAS NECESSARY FOR HIS ARREST. WHILE HE LATER REACHED A SETTLEMENT WITH NEW ZEALAND POLICE – HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SHAKE THE CHARGES RELATED TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, MONEY LAUNDERING, AND RACKETEERING.
THE GERMAN-BORN RESIDENT OF NEW ZEALAND, FACES 13 CHARGES IN THE U-S.
TWO OF HIS COLLEAGUES AVOIDED EXTRADITION BY ACCEPTING PLEA DEALS AND SERVING PRISON TERMS IN NEW ZEALAND. A THIRD EXECUTIVE PASSED AWAY IN 2022.
FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED — STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING — DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.
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8 months ago
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